Hearts of Ice and Fire
by Atlas FF
Summary: After a misunderstanding leaves one of the PAW Patrol members critically injured, Marshall is forced to hide the truth from everyone else. But after being confronted by his crush, Marshall slowly realizes that if he is to make changes and get everything back to the way it was, he must first change himself as a team member, a friend, and as a brother.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: As you all might already know, I'm not a huge fan of the MarshallxEverest pairing. Well I've written this to tell you that I'm dropping my hate for this pairing. Over the last couple months, maybe even more than that, a war of pairings has been going on. One side hating the MxE pairing and the latter side loving that pairing. I was a MxE hater! Well no more!**

 **With this, I plan to be more supportive, and be an overall better person. I've already dug a pretty deep hole for myself and I want to climb out of it. To start, I want to formally apologize for my rude and childish behavior towards that pairing. It was wrong and foolish of me to say the things I've said.**

 **So I'm going to put all other stories, but one, on hold for right now. Mainly because, I've hit a writing block for those stories and I don't know how to continue them. I'll still work on K9 Special Forces, since it is a collaboration and I don't want to leave my partner hanging in the wind.**

 **I am expecting criticism for switching sides, but I don't plan to rant about it. In fact, unless I have the absolute urge to call someone out, I will. But for the sake of this story, I don't plan to. I hope you guys like what I have to share with you and let's get right into it. This is my first story centered around Marshall. I normally do Chase because I can relate to him, but I kinda relate to Marshall in some sense as well.**

 **PS: If the characterization is off, please let me know and I'll aim to fix it. Cheers!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Welcome to Chapter 1 of Hearts of Ice and Fire**

It may be difficult to believe, but love is one of the most strongest forces in the world. Love will always be better than money. Money is just a materialistic thing. It can't buy love nor happiness. All you get with money is gold diggers; nobody likes a gold digger. If you can't show your love for another individual, or pup, you will never reach your end goal of loving that individual, or pup, forever. Your body will feel empty and lonely. Like a refrigerator or pantry with no good food in it.

Have you ever told yourself that you will never love someone? If so, then you're crazy! Love comes from the connections you have with another individual…..or in the case, a pup. It's one of those odd things that you just can't avoid. No matter how much you fight it, kick it and scream at it. Love will always find itself victorious and on top.

Overlooking the town of Adventure Bay was, none other than, the Lookout Tower. This beautiful tower erected high over the town, almost casting a deep, dark shadow. This state-of-the-art building was not only one of the most advanced buildings in the world, but it was also home to a very special team of pups, The PAW Patrol.

Dawn was slowly approaching as the sky slowly began to turn from a dark blue to lighter shade. The first rays quickly spread out across the morning sky, bringing warmth and sunshine. They quickly ate away at all the darkness, giving the sky a warm and welcoming glow. Soon the sky was alive with bright, white clouds and small flocks of birds. With the sky awake and the sun out, it was time for the day to officially begin.

Snuggled deep into sleep and his fuzzy blanket, Marshall could stay where he was for hours. He was curled up in a tight ball, with his nose tucked beneath his feet. It was warm in his pup house. A special heater that all the pups pup houses had outfitted. It can go from hot to cold and back to hot again in north of five seconds. Marshall was snoring gently, but it was short lived as there was a sudden knocking on his door.

It was Chase. "Marshall, it's time to get up buddy," he said. His voice was muffled from the door, but Marshall could still hear him.

He groaned and let out a puppy yawn. "Ahh, do I have to?" he whined. "I was just getting to the good part." He could hear Chase snicker from the other side.

"Sorry, it had to end, Marshall. But no joke, it's time to get up," he said.

Marshall sat up and raised an eyebrow. "Hmm, why should I get up?" He decided to annoy his friend a bit.

Chase groaned. "Oh no, not _this_ again!" he complained.

Marshall smiled, knowing he had his friend by the leash. "If you don't have a reason, then I guess I'm going back to bed."

"Wait!" Chase shouted. "I think Ryder has breakfast ready."

Marshall smirked. "I'm calling your bluff, Chase. You're not fooling anyone here."

"Hey, Chase," greeted a new voice. Marshall couldn't figure out who it was, no matter how hard he strained his ears.

"Oh, hey….Everest," Chase said.

Marshall's eyes shot wide open. "Everest!" he shouted as he opened his door and jumped out, tackling the supposed Everest. Marshall lathered the pup with licks and hugs. But he looked at who it was and jumped off. "Skye?"

Skye stood up and shook out her fur. "Yeah, it's me. Who did you expect? By the way, thanks for the drool bath." She looked at Chase and giggled.

Marshall looked at Chase too. Chase's lower jaw was opened as wide as it could go. The poor pup was in a state of shock and disbelief. Chase looked back at Marshall, who froze.

"What was that?" Chase asked, with a hint of curiosity. His eyes were still in a faze of complete shock.

Marshall was red as his pup house. "Uhh…I uh…I greet all of…my friends that way. It's my new lifestyle."

"What's the name of the lifestyle? Hugs and Licks?" Skye asked. Her fur was damp from Marshall's drool.

Marshall was even redder now. They're on to me! He thought wildly.

"Got a crush on someone, Marshall?" Chase teased, with a wink.

"No," Marshall answered quickly with no confidence to back it up.

"Is that why you called me, Everest?" Skye asked.

Chase couldn't help but look so smug. "Yep, because every here now knows about Marshall's affections for our husky friend. I figured that if I said she was here, he would go nuts to see her." He broke out laughing. "I never thought he would take it that far though."

Marshall blushed and growled playfully at his friend. "Hey, Skye and Everest look exactly the same when you're launching yourself out of bed like a rocket ship," he said. "I'll have you know they look like fuzzy blurs to me at that speed."

Chase and Skye both glanced at each other in disbelief. "Admit it, Marshall. You like Everest."

Marshall frowned. "Is that a bad thing?"

Skye shook her head. "No, it's not," she shrugged. "She's cute and loves to play. I can see why you are taking a liking for her."

Marshall blushed heavily. His red cheeks proving Skye's point even more so. "Promise not to tell her or anyone else?"

Chase placed a reassuring paw on his spotted friends shoulder. "You have my word. Skye's too," he said, tilting his head to the Cockapoo. She nodded in agreement.

"Thanks guys," he said, hugging each one individually.

Their pup tags beeped. "Pups, breakfast is ready," Ryder said. He said nothing more.

Chase playfully punched Marshall in the shoulder. "You still want to call my bluff?"

Marshall laughed. "No, because breakfast, technically, wasn't ready when you said it was. Hey, I'll race ya," he challenged. "Loser has to forfeit half his breakfast to the winner."

"You're so on," gloated Chase. "Prepare to eat my dust, spotty dog."

"Don't get lost in the sheep, farm boy," retorted Marshall.

"Red Rover!"

"Slow poke!"

Skye separated the two before it go physical. "You guys may be different breeds, but you're brothers to the core," Skye said. "You even argue like brothers too."

What she said was true. Chase and Marshall were the first two pups on the team. They grew up with each other and were born within a few days of each other; Chase was older by a few days. Their constant bickering of who was better at a certain sport or a particular task drove Ryder mad. This time is was probably gonna be no different.

Chase and Marshall stood side-by-side and got into a running stance. Both had their left paw forward meaning they would launch with their rear dominant leg, the right leg. Skye took up a spot right next to them and began her announcement.

"Alright, I want a clean, fair race. No kicking, no biting, no ramming, no barking, none of that mumbo jumbo," she said seriously.

"Oh, get on with it," Marshall and Chase said in sync. They both gave an annoyed look at Skye.

Skye blushed. "On your mark, get set. Go!"

Immediately, Chase took an early lead with Marshall right on his tail. Chase knew that it was going to be a short race, so he just had try and keep Marshall behind him until then. That shouldn't be too hard right?

Marshall went wide around Chase and both pups ran right next to each other. The lookout entrance was right in front of them. As they got closer, it slid open and someone came out.

Rocky!

"Look out!" Skye shouted

Chase immediately hit the brakes and stopped safely. However, Marshall tried to hit the brakes, but he was going too fast to stop. He slid right into the mix-breed and they both hit the ground hard. Marshall landed on top of Rocky and both pups groaned.

"Oh, what happened?" Rocky mumbled, as he held his head.

Marshall stood up. "You okay, Rocky? I didn't mean it, honest." He felt a little dizzy. "Oh, I stood up way too fast."

Rocky stood up and shook out his fur. "No harm done, it's all good. What were you two doing?" He stared at Chase and Skye, who joined them.

"We were racing to breakfast," answered Chase.

"Yeah, is there anything good left?" Marshall asked hopefully. He felt his tummy rumble.

Rocky nodded his head. "Yeah, Ryder and everyone else is in there right now. Get it while it's still fresh," he said, walking to his pup house.

"Where are you going?" called Skye.

"I'm gonna organize some of my pup house. It's a little….messy and cluttered at the moment," he said without stopping.

"Of course it is," Marshall called back. "Hoarding isn't a healthy lifestyle, Rocky."

"Bite me," Rocky retorted, before disappearing into his pup house.

They all busted up laughing. Chase was rolling on the ground. Skye was smacking the ground. And Marshall was kicking the air. The laughter continued on for a few more moments until they had to stop and breath.

"Oh," Chase gasped. "That was funny."

"Oh, Rocky," giggled Skye. "He's a riot."

"I haven't laughed like that in a long time," Marshall said. "I really needed that."

Chase stared at Marshall in disbelief. "I doubt that. You're in fact _the_ laughing stock of the team."

Marshall shrugged. "It's true! I may crack a lot of jokes and laugh at them, but they are my jokes. I don't think I'm that funny, to be honest." He stood up and shook his fur. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving."

"Ditto to that," Skye preached

Marshall started to walk inside with Skye, but stopped when he noticed Chase not following. "You coming, brother?"

Chase didn't even hear him. He looked to be in a sort of trance. In his own little world; the land of Chase.

"Uh, hello…Earth to Chase…Did you hear me?" he said.

Chase shook his head. "Oh, sorry! Lost in thought. What did you say again?"

Marshall chuckled. "We are going to eat, you coming with us?"

Chase dipped his head. "Let's go." He saw Marshall stop and perk his ears.

In the distance, Marshall could hear an engine noise. He saw Chase's ears perk as well. He can hear it too! The dally cast his gaze to the Lookout driveway and saw a vehicle approaching. He couldn't make out what it was, until it got very close. He heard Chase gasp and stare at him. His penetrating gaze burned the back of his head.

Marshall quickly recognized the person, or should I say….pup, driving the vehicle. He too, gasped at who it was and it hit him totally off guard. He didn't think she was coming or visiting for a while. The pup hopped out and stared at them. Marshall called out a name he knew all to well. A name that would be branded in his mind for the rest of his life.

"Everest?"

 **I know it's bad! I seriously think that this is by far my worst story yet. I feel as though I don't even know what characterization is anymore. I feel like Marshall was too serious for his actual character. The urge to plant an OC is phenomenal. But, with this story, I don't intend to add OC's. I want to try and break free from them and do stories involving the actual characters.**

 **Alright now to the serious part. If you think I am missing something, please tell me. I want to try and make this story work, but I don't feel confident enough to try and do that. I am expecting mixed reviews for this, so say what you please. I'm too lazy to even get mad at them anymore.**

 **AtlasWolfActual Out!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A\N: With all that I've said about this pairing, I'm surprised I didn't get more criticism for using it. And I'm surprised you wonderful people actually liked it. I mean, besides the one or two bad eggs in the reviews which I won't comment on, because there is no point; the guests was right.**

 **I do realize it's not going to change anything about what I've said. I don't care about what I've said anymore. I'm not going to take this to Grateful. In fact, by the time you read this it will already be deleted. That's not an apology? You're right, it isn't! But, that's all I'm willing to give you.**

 **Enjoy!...or at least try!**

 **Welcome to Chapter 2 of Hearts of Ice and Fire**

* * *

Marshall could feel his heart skip a beat as Everest started walking towards them. It felt like a slow-motion running scene in a movie. He felt the fluttering feeling of butterflies in his stomach as she got closer and closer.

She moved his such grace and poise, it was like she was a ballerina. Her fur shined as the sun bounced off of it. Her ice blue eyes always twinkled, even in the darkest of light. Marshall was completely lost in thought, when she stopped in front of him and smiled.

"Hey, Marshall," she greeted happily. Her face changed to slight worry. "Marshall?"

He was like a zombie, even Chase and Skye looked at him with worry. His bottom lip was dripping drool and he was looking over Everest's right shoulder.

Chase shook him gently. "Buddy? You okay?" he asked.

Marshall shook his head. "Oh, sorry," he said. "A beautiful thought came to me. Guess I was in my own little world." He gave Everest a quick look, before looking back at his friend.

Chase noticed and winked, which Everest didn't notice. "Uh, okay. Well, Everest was talking to you, if you didn't notice."

"Oh!" he looked at Everest. "Hey, Everest. What's up?"

Everest giggled. "I'm doing well. Just thought that I would come visit my friends for the day."

"It's good to see you, Eve," Chase said, giving her a hug; a long one.

"Same, Chase," she said, returning the hug. "You always give the best hugs."

"I try," Chase gloated, finally letting go. He looked at Marshall who glared at him.

Everest, who didn't notice Marshall's look towards Chase, looked at Skye. "Hey, it's my other female pup friend, Skye. How are you, girl?"

"I've been fine," she said. "Been keeping the boys in check. They may be tough, but I always win."

"Yeah, about th-," Chase began, still staring back at a clearly furious Marshall.

"Hush!" Skye ordered.

Everest raised her eyebrows in astonishment. "Impressive." She looked at Chase and Marshall. "I have something to talk about with Skye-."

"Okay," the boys said in sync, but didn't move. They didn't even break eye contact, just facial expressions. They both faked a happy look.

"…in private," she finished.

"Oh, okay. I needed to talk with Chase about something real quick," Marshall said, with a hint of a growl.

Everest gave Marshall an odd look, but said nothing as she and Skye walked away side-by-side. When they were out of sight, Marshall began fuming and growling at Chase. "What is wrong with you?" he said threateningly.

Chase took a step in front of Marshall. He wasn't threatened by Marshall one bit. If Marshall wasn't something, it was threatening. "What's wrong with you?" he said back.

"You're hugging Everest like you love her! After I told about how I like her, you decide you want to hug her!"

Chase's eyes shot open in disbelief. "You think I have feelings for her. Are you kidding me?"

Marshall ignored him. "And what about the fact that you give the best hugs in her opinion?"

"I give the best hugs, I guess," Chase shrugged. "Got a problem with that?"

"No! I think it's annoying that you're hugging the girl that I'm falling for," Marshall snapped.

Chase took a step towards Marshall. The dally took a step back and gulped. "I wouldn't dare try and ruin your chances with her! You're being overly sensitive over something you might not even accomplish! I highly doubt she's interested in a clumsy pup like yourself!"

Marshall gasped at Chase's words. "You don't think I can get together with, Everest?" His eyes began to water at the thought. He felt like someone had pierced his heart with a stake.

"I never said you didn't have a chance. Don't try and guilt trip me!"

"And what do you mean, clumsy pup like yourself?" he growled.

"Don't play coy with the truth, Marshall. You've been a clumsy pup ever since I met you," Chase said. "Probably clumsy in the womb too."

"And now you say something rude about it. That's a low blow, even for you, Chase."

"What is your deal?" Chase asked seriously. "I hug one of our friends and you freak out. Now you're bantering about how I have feelings for her."

"Because I love her!"

"First it was like, not it's love? If you 'love' her so much. Tell her how you feel. If my thoughts are correct, she will turn you down and I will be right."

Marshall let a tear loose. It rolled down his cheek and on to the concrete below. "When did you become so mean?" Marshall whimpered. "Why do you want me to fail?"

Chase ignored him and began to walk away, not wanting to deal with his emotional unbalanced friend anymore. "What am I trying to do?" he mumbled to himself.

"Where are you going?" barked Marshal. "I'm not done talking with you yet."

"Well, I am," retorted Chase. "Come find me when you're done pouting."

Marshall clenched a paw into a fist and charged at his friend. He tripped him and kicked him in the gut with as much force as he could muster. It felt good to get the negative energy out. "Take it back! Take it back!"

Chase couldn't speak, because the air in his lungs was gone. He began coughing and blood started dripping from his bottom lip.

"This is for making fun of me!" Marshall said, kicking Chase in the gut.

Chase sucked in his gut when the foot made impact. It took his breath away again. His eyes were watering adn he was struggling to fight back.

Marshall bit down on Chase's neck and dragged him to Chase's pup house.

"Please….stop," he begged. 'I'm sorry."

Marshall dropped opened the door and put only Chase's legs in. He felt a paw touch his leg and he looked down at the injured Chase.

"Please...stop...this. I can't take much more-," he coughed up blood. "...You're killing me."

Marshall crouched down and barred his teeth in his Chase's eyes. "You should have thought about that before you insulted me." He hit a button on Chase's pup house that shut the door on his legs.

Chase screamed when the door shut on his legs. "Stop! Please...-" he said, as the door closed on his legs again.

And again...

And again...

And when Marshall closed the door for the fifth time, there was a loud crack followed by pained screaming. But he didn't seem to care as Marshall kicked Chase one last time. This time in the chest. As his foot made contact, he felt and heard a snap from Chase's rib cage.

Chase immediately clutched his chest and started screaming in pain. He had his eyes screwed shut.

But Marshall wasn't finished! He grabbed Chase by the head and slammed it down as hard as he could. Chase was motionless, only a faint rise and fall of his chest.

That's when his common sense and regret finally kicked in. His rage had taken control of him and he had brutally hurt his best friend. Most likely ex-best friend once he wakes up, if he even does wake up. He also realized that he wouldn't be able to get away with this without Ryder getting mad at him. Or could he?

Due to the impact with the concrete, Chase had been knocked unconscious. He was breathing in short, little puffs and groaned whenever he shifted more than a few inches. Marshall tried to get him to wake up, but with all the injuries that Chase had sustained, he wasn't stirring.

He tried something else. He spoke quietly and kindly into Chase's ear. "Chase, please wake up," he begged. "I regret ever laying a paw on you. I just lost my temper that's all." It didn't seem to work, as Chase still wasn't waking up.

Marshall buried his face into Chase's neck and began to cry. "CHASE! PLEASE! WAKE UP!"

"CHASE!" screamed a new voice.

Marshall froze, recognizing the voice immediately. He looked up to see the approaching figure. He had a shocked look on his face as he approached. Marshall stood up to accept his fate.

It was Ryder!

* * *

 **I'm going to make the chapters shorter in this story. I find that stories with shorter chapters do better, or at least that's my theory. So I'm trying to keep my max aamount of words below 2,500 words.**

 **So, now that I got that finished with. I'm willing to open up with you guys. Ask me any question. Any reasonable question, that is. I'll answer it honestly and to the best of my ability.**

 **You'd be wise to remember Chase and Marshall both getting lost in thought. That will come into play later in the story.**

 **AtlasWolfActual out**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: A little violent for Marshall, huh? The reason for that approach is because I always find Marshall being the victim, so I was like "I'll hop on the MxE Bandwagon, but if I do, Marshall gets to be a bad guy at least once." This time roles are reversed, with Marshall in the hot seat. It's a unique approach that I want to try out. I haven't come across anything about it being a bad idea, in fact I think I scared a few people from what I can gather in the reviews. Oh and I get that losing his temper was a lame excuse, but I don't have any reason to change it. So deal with it.**

 **Enjoy!...or at least try!**

 **Welcome to Chapter 3 of Hearts of Ice and Fire**

* * *

Ryder ran to Chase and fell to his knees. His first pup was a broken and bloody mess on the ground. He lost all control of his emotions seeing one of his pups in such pain and agony. The boy ran a hand through Chase's fur. It was caked with blood and sweat, which matted it down from it's traditional length. Chase's heartbeat was rapid, and consistent; maybe 180 beats per minute. The ten year old looked at Marshall.

"What happened?" The words came up in a desperate croak. "I heard the screaming too."

Marshall looked at Ryder, then at Chase, then back to Ryder. "Umm..I-I don't know." He felt his life falling apart, since he just lied to his leader. It felt wrong. "We were talking and I….ran to my pup house for a minute. I heard him screaming and I came back to find him like this."

"But who would do this to such a kind pup? Even for a tough and serious pup, Chase would never hurt anyone. It was never in his nature, even when you and him were little. He was always generous and used words rather than claws," explained Ryder.

"Someone who Chase might have arrested in that past? Maybe they got out of jail or something and they tracked him down," guessed Marshall.

"I swear, when I find the monster who did this, I'm gonna rip him limb from limb," threatened Ryder.

Marshall whimpered and tucked his tail between his legs. _I'd do anything to keep him from doing that to me._ Ryder noticed this and placed a hand on Marshall's head.

"What's wrong?"

Marshall gulped. "I've just…I've never seen you like this before. I guess it kind of scared me." In reality, he was scared of what Ryder was to do with him once he found out that his trusted fire pup brutally hurt his police pup.

Ryder patted Marshall on the head. "You're right, I'm sorry I scared you. I'm just so, so mad that someone would do such harm to my pup."

"We'll find the person or pup that did this, and we'll bring him to justice." _Please just arrest me now!_

Ryder nodded and returned his gaze to his injured pup. "That can wait. In the meantime, we need to get him to Katie's. She'll know what to do and how to fix him," he mumbled. "Can you take him there? While I…try to process all of this."

Marshall couldn't believe it. Ryder was trusting him to take Chase to Katie's. But to Ryder, Marshall was a good pup and wouldn't harm anyone. "You can count on me, Ryder." He ran to his pup house and transformed it into his ambulance and brought it close to Ryder. "Help me get him in the back."

Ryder and Marshall gently lifted Chase into the back of the ambulance and laid him gently onto the gurney. A tear dripped from Marshall's eye and landed on the gurney. _This is all my fault. If I hadn't of lost my temper, I wouldn't have hurt Chase like I did._

Ryder hugged Marshall, knowing that it was hard on the pup to see his best friend in this state. "He'll be okay, he's a fighter. Chase will pull through, I promise."

Marshall nodded and shut the doors of the ambulance. "I'll be back once I get a full medical report on his condition."

Ryder nodded. "Be safe and keep in touch." He sighed and gulped. "I have to inform the team."

Marshall whined. "My suggestion: don't give it to them all at once. I'll be in touch." With that, he set off to Katie's, the regret and discomfort of lying to Ryder was finally settling in. But he knew that if he came forth and told the truth, he would probably be taken off the team and possibly sent to puppy jail.

"Chase, I hope you can forgive me for my actions." He knew that his friend may never walk again with how badly he broke his back legs. "What if he is never the same? It would all be my fault."

He crossed the Adventure Bay bridge and saw Katie's shop right ahead of him. He eased off the throttle and let his rig come to a slow stop. He may have hurt Chase, but he didn't want to hurt him anymore. As he turned off the engine, the doors busted open and Katie came out.

She looked scared and prepared to go to work. "How is he?" she demanded.

Marshall shook his head. "Not good, both back legs are broken and maybe a few ribs. I didn't get to do a full examination yet." He didn't know how badly Chase's internals were, but he could tell that it probably wasn't good.

Katie nodded her head. "Okay, lets get him inside and get a full examination."

They pulled Chase's gurney out and let the legs deploy. They pushed him inside and into Katie's makeshift emergency room for animals. "Alright, let's get this started. Marshall, get him on an IV. I'm gonna examine his body."

Marshall nodded as he did as he was told. He got a bag set up and was about to push the needle into Chase's arm, but he stopped to watch Katie. Her facial expression wasn't exactly what he wanted to see.

She felt his chest and gut. "Alright, he has three broken ribs. Two on the left and one on the right. He has major bruising in his gut region, maybe even a few lacerated organs." She moved down his legs and gave the same look. "Both legs are broken at the waist. He might even have spinal damage, but I'm hoping for the best."

"And if there is any spinal injury?"

Katie shook her head. "He may never walk again. He'd be confined to a set of wheels for the rest of his life. But that's if it's major. The minor stuff we can fix through surgery and rehab, but that takes time."

 _All because I had to get mad at him. This shouldn't have happened_. "I wish I could have prevented this," Marshall said, placing a paw on the gurney and staring at his beat up friend. "He didn't deserve any of this."

Katie placed both hands on Marshall's shoulders. "You got him here, so that I can care for him. You've done enough to prevent him from dying. That's the best you could do." She moved up to Chase's head and examined it. "Slight head trauma, maybe a concussion. Too early to tell how severe though."

"What if it's bad?" Marshall asked.

"He might have possible amne-," she started to cry. The emotional strain was too much for her. Seeing her best friends best friend on the table was too much to bear.

Suddenly the phone started ringing, and Katie quickly picked it up. "Katie's Veterenary Clinic and Pet Store, Katie speaking," she greeted as cheerfully as she could. "Oh hey, Ryder…..yes, Marshall got here with Chase…..yeah, he's right here." She held the phone for him to pick up.

Marshall slowly took the phone in his paws and held it against his ear. "Ryder?"

"Hey, pup. How you holding up?" Ryder said softly.

Marshall sniffed. "I'm doing what I can. How's everyone else taking the news?"

Ryder didn't answer. He only sighed.

"You didn't tell them, did you?"

Ryder sighed again. "I don't know how to break the news to them. How do you tell family that one of their own is in critical condition?"

"I don't know, but.." Marshall felt like coming clean. He wanted to accept the fact that his stupidity nearly cost his friend his own life.

"But, what, pup?" pressed Ryder.

"It's nothing, honest," Marshall lied. "You want to get the full examination report?"

Ryder didn't respond.

"Ryder?"

Ryder was quietly sobbing on the other end. Two sides of him were split. One side wanted to know and the other side didn't. "Sorry, I just…still can't believe what's going on. Yes, I'd like the examination report."

"Are you sure? Because I can bring one back with me on paper and you can read it to yourself," suggested Marshall.

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Okay then. What do you want to know first?"

"The little injuries followed by the worst."

"Well, umm," Marshall said. I did this to Chase. I should have these down by now. "A few little cut's and scraps on his legs and body. Slight head trauma. Severe bruising. Three broken ribs. And finally….-" he paused to hold back the tears in his eyes.

"Just say it, please," Ryder begged.

"…both of his back legs are broken at the waist. Possible spinal damage. We won't know until Katie does a cat scan." Marshall could hear Ryder crying his eyes out on the other side. He imagined him curled up into an up right ball, slowly rocking back and forth.

I did this to him! I should be put in jail! What kind of a pup does that to their best friend? I don't deserve to be in the PAW Patrol anymore. "They need to know, Ryder. The team needs to know. Call us in, please."

Ryder sniffed on the other side of the phone. "I'll call you all in a few minutes. Just….just let me be alone for a little bit. I need to process this all."

"Very well, see you soon." With that, Marshall hung up the phone. He looked over at Katie, who was wiping tears from her cheeks. "You okay?"

Katie nodded. "Uh huh," she responded. "Just a little upset and emotional right now. What did Ryder need?" She grabbed a tissue and blew her nose, which did a fantastic job clearing up her sinuses.

"Just a check up. See how he's doing," Marshall said, dipping his head to Chase. "I told him everything. He needed to know. I wouldn't lie to him." But he already did lie about something. _I'm a fraud, I shouldn't even be here._

"You're a good pup, Marshall. Ryder's lucky to have you."

Marshall felt happy because of her praise, but he was hiding real pain deep down _. If only she knew the truth._ "What's next?"

"Well, I need to set the broken ribs or else they won't heal properly. Then we need to do a cat scan to check on his legs and spine. Hopefully it's just a bad break in the legs. After that, we go into surgery and fix him. When all things are said and done, he's on medication and a road to recovery." But her look changed to sorrow. "That's only if everything goes smoothly. It's a fifty-fifty chance of him not pulling through."

"He'll be fine. I'll make sure of it," Marshall reassured.

Katie took a deep breath. "Ready to begin. I'm gonna need a hand or two."

"Let's do it," said Marshall taking a step towards Katie, when his pup tag beeped.

 _"PAW Patrol, to the Lookout!"_

* * *

 **I'm updating this story like mad! I have so many ideas popping up in my head and I can't contain them. This whole story is being planned out fairly quickly, if I don't stop this behavior, the story will completed by the end of next week. Of course, that's not my plan.**

 **Anyway, I hope you guys are enjoying this story. I know Marshall is the bad guy, but this is Fanfiction, anything can happen. I'll see you in the next one.**

 **AtlasWolfActual Out**!


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: You will notice some changes to the story. It's now Rated T, mainly because of the incident in Chapter 2. It is also been changed from a Friendship/Romance to a Romance/Tragedy. Again, because of the events of Chapter 2. I'm experimenting with a possibly new chapter title and summary, but I'm not sure yet.**

 **A review said that this was like the story, "Left Isolated." (Very great story by the way). In all reality, this story and that story are completely different. Chase is the one that gets injured, but he gets hit by a truck in Left Isolated and get's beaten to a pulp in this one. I only mentioned amnesia in this story. Chase gets amnesia in the other. So please, don't compare this story to another persons story. Granted, it's a good story, but I'm not one to copy others work.**

 **Enjoy!...or at least try!**

 **Welcome to Chapter 4 of Hearts of Ice and Fire**

* * *

Marshall's ride back to the lookout was the most painful ride he had ever had to drive. It felt like someone had reached into his chest and ripped out all of his organs. He cried most of the way back, making his vision impaired at some moments. His truck had nearly lost control a few times. Had he not regained control, his truck would have crashed and he would've been killed.

He crossed the Adventure Bay bridge, this time without Chase. The sky was alive with white clouds. The rumbling of the tires on the road could be heard. Marshall crossed the bridge in about fifteen seconds, and the Lookout tower was in sight.

Marshall pushed down on the throttle and sped up the driveway, seeing what looked like Skye and Zuma entering through the front entrance. "Guess I'm the last one," he tried to joke.

He parked his rig and walked inside. He didn't run. The last thing he felt like doing was crashing into everyone. He had hurt too many pups today, he didn't want to hurt five more. Marshall noticed Everest was among the pups, she stared at him. _Why does she have to be here? I don't want to be here to hear what comes next._

"Hey, Marshall," called Everest. "We've been waiting for you and Chase."

"Yeah, where is Chase?" Rubble asked.

Marshall shook his head. "That's why we're here," he mumbled. He took a seat next to Zuma and let his head droop. _My brother should be here_!

Everyone eyeballed Marshall, especially Rocky, who had a hint of aggression in his eyes. But Marshall didn't notice him, he was too upset to notice.

The elevator closed and ascended the tower, stopping momentarily for the pups to get their gear on. The science behind the pups getting their gear on so quick was fascinating. The moment the doors closed, the elevator recognized all members on board. After it completed its scan, it stopped the elevator in the middle, and this is where the cool part comes in.

The elevator, built the pup vest around the body of each pup simultaneously. It could have a pup vest on any pup with a snap of the fingers. It truly is what made the Lookout so high tech.

Once they had the pup vest's and pack's on, the elevator went to the top and stopped for them to get in line.

As soon as the pups were in line, they all stared at the missing space where Chase would have stood.

"Where's Chase?" asked Skye, with a bit of worry in her voice.

"Yeah, the dude's always hewe," added Zuma.

Everyone looked at Marshall, who still drooped his head, and then at Ryder. The ten year old felt the full weight sink down on his shoulders. It was over burdened to carry this much weight and he knew he had to drop some of it.

"Thanks for getting here pups," Ryder said.

"What's the situation, Ryder?" asked Skye.

"You probably notice we're missing a pup-."

"Ryder, where's Chase?" asked Rubble.

Ryder sighed and stared at his team. "I don't know how to tell you guys this, but…..Chase has been injured."

Everyone, but Marshall, gasped at this. To hear that one of their own was injured put everyone on edge.

"How?" Everest demanded.

Marshall could hear the ferocity on her voice. If anyone hurt her friends, she would be out for blood _. To think I'm still in love with her._

"He was attacked someone," Ryder answered.

Marshall glanced down the line of his team mates and was met with the eyes of Rocky. The mix-breed was glaring at him, through the corner of his eye. His lip was in the early faze of snarling.

Marshall had never seen his friend like this. _Unless he knew what the real deal was. No, he couldn't possibly know. Rocky was in his pup house, he surely couldn't have heard us_. Marshall prayed silently that Rocky knew nothing. Rocky glanced at Ryder.

"Any idea who might of done it?" he said with a growl. He stared back at Marshall.

Ryder shook his head. "No, nothing so far."

Marshall felt relieved to see he didn't notice Rocky's anger. The last thing he wanted, was for everyone to start accusing him.

"Why would someone want to hurt, Chase?" asked Rubble. "Sure the dude was serious, but that's no reason to hurt him."

"You have a point, Rubble," answered Marshall. "But someone still hurt him." I did it! I just can't bring myself to answer for my actions.

"Marshall, you were at Katie's. What kind of injuries did Chase receive?" Ryder asked knowingly.

Marshall stared at his leader, a tear shed from his eye. "Do I have to share?"

Ryder walked towards his pup. He placed a hand on Marshall's cheek. "You don't have to if you don't want to. I know what his injuries are, I'll share."

Marshall dipped his head and let out a sigh of relief. The regret from all the injuries he had given Chase weighed heavily in his mind.

Ryder pulled out his pup pad and let the screen come down. It powered on and showed a side view of Chase. "Chase has sustained some pretty serious injuries. Three broken ribs, bruised belly, a concussion, lacerated organs, and finally….."

"What else is bwoken, Wyder?"

"…Both his back legs are broken at the waist, he might even have some form of paralysis."

All the pups looked down in sadness. Their friend was broken, almost beyond repair. It scared them, knowing that a monster tried tear apart their team by injuring one of its own.

"But I will say this," Ryder announced. All the pups eyes were trained on him. "I won't rest until the person who did this-."

Rocky stepped forward. "I'm gonna have you stop right there, Ryder, because I have a feeling I know who did it." He stared at each member of the team, stopping on Marshall for a few seconds, before looking back at Ryder.

Ryder stopped and stared at Rocky in disbelief. "Okay then, Rocky. Who injured my pup?" he asked, folding his arms.

Rocky scoffed. "If it isn't too obvious…..It was Marshall," he said, pointing at the dally.

The pups were in shock at Rocky's accusation. But Marshall stared back at Rocky with a look of defiance in his face.

"No, he wouldn't have," said Skye.

"Mawshall and Chase awe family, dude. They wouldn't twy and huwt each othew," Zuma added

"Where is your proof, Rocky?" asked Everest.

"Marshall was last one with Chase, before he got injured. Clearly, Marshall is the culprit. Who else could it have been?" he stared at his colleagues, hoping to get a response. But no one had a thing to say. "You see, Ryder? It was Marshall. He hurt our friend. He deserves to be punished."

"You don't have any right to speak to me like that. I just carried my dying brother to Katie's. So don't you dare place any of this blame on me," retorted Marshall. _Too bad his accusations are true._

"That's enough, Rocky!" exclaimed Ryder. "Without proper evidence, Marshall is just as innocent as you all are! So I suggest you shape up, before you start accusing others!"

Rocky stared at Marshall in disgust before returning to his seat. "I'll say sorry to you, Ryder. But I'm not saying sorry to that traitor," he spat.

"ROCKY!" shouted Ryder. "I've had enough of you! Go to your pup house and cool off."

"But I-," Rocky started.

Ryder put his hands on his hips and pointed to the elevator. "I won't ask again, now go," he ordered.

Rocky whimpered and walked to the elevator without a word. The elevator went down to the bottom, leaving two members of the team out of commission.

"What was that all about?" Skye asked curiously, a look of fear locked in her pink eyes.

"I know right. I've never seen Rocky act like or talk like that to anybody before." He stared at Marshall. "Especially to Marshall."

"Yeah, Mawshall. Why would Wocky accuse you of huwting Chase?"

"Because Marshall was the last one seen with him," answered Everest. "But I don't believe he could have done this. He's too kind and caring to hurt someone."

Marshal stared at Everest, admiring her kind words. _I wish it were true, Everest, but I've failed myself. I've failed Chase. And I've failed the PAW Patrol_. "Thanks, Everest. I-I wish Rocky was as kind as you."

Everest sat down next to Marshall. "He's scared just like we are. It's just that….he believes you did it, because that's what his mind is making him believe." She grabbed him and hugged him.

Marshall rested his head on her shoulder, knowing that her words were true. "I'm glad I have friends like you." He wanted her more than anything, but with all that he had done, it wasn't his dream anymore. Now, he had to try and figure out a way to fix everything and bring life back to the way it was before.

 _I wish I could reset this day, so that none of this would have ever happened!_

* * *

A **/N: The story is doing well and I have nothing but kind words for all of you viewers. I even say this to the people who are still offended about the things I've said about the MxE pairing in the past. I don't plan on saying sorry because what's the point, you won't accept my apology any way.**

 **I'm gonna start posting whenever I can, because Senior Year is here and I'm gonna try and make the best of it. So if I don't update for a while, I apologize in advance.**

 **Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

 **Remember to Favorite and Follow and I'll see you in the next one**

 **AtlasWolfActual Out!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: The feedback on this story is absolutley incredible! I've only seen two negative reviews, but that was for me switching teams. I want to try and extend this story as much as possible. I don't really want to make chapters more than 2,000 words. I might have an issue with that because my attention to detail is superb and it gets really annoying sometimes. So if I forget a detail, I apologize. It was either intentional or accidental...most likely intentional. And I know everyone loves a good cliffhanger, so expect alot of those as well.**

 **Again, I know I repeat this in every story and chapter, but, I seriously do appreciate all the support that you guys give me. I get emails all the time when you guys: Favorite, Follow, or Review. And I archive them so that I always have them. Every once and a while, I'll take a minute to read a few of them. I absolutely love you guys to death. You mean alot to me and your comments and support are one of the reasons I enjoy geting up in the morning. I thank you for your continued support and I hope that it stays strong.**

 **Welcome to Chapter 5 of Hearts of Ice and Fire!**

* * *

It had been two days since Chase was admitted into Katie's hands. His condition had continued to get worse as Katie wasn't able to perform the surgery alone. She needed Marshall's help. But the young dally hadn't left the Lookout tower since Rocky had accused him of the wrong doing.

The mix breed was temporarily taken off the team for a week, so he could get his attitude in check. He didn't like that idea when Ryder had to break the news to him. Ryder said he would be back as soon as he apologized to Marshall. But Rocky refused to break that easily.

"I'd rather be suspended from team for life than say sorry to him," Rocky had said to Ryder.

That was the comment that extended his punishment to an entire week. Ryder wasn't happy to have to do it, but know one would talk to him like that and get away with it with only a slap on the wrist.

Even though they respected him, the rest of the team stayed clear of Marshall. They didn't want to say something that would hurt his feelings or send him into an emotional state. But one pup stayed with him that entire time, Everest.

The female Husky was always by Marshall's side, so that he wouldn't feel alone. And so that he had a shoulder to cry into. She ate with him, slept with him, and walked around with him. Everest even tried to get him to play, but Marshall felt to heart broken to try and play.

Ryder found them sleeping on one of the cushions in the living room. He had moved everyone inside temporarily, so that no one else would get hurt. Little did he know, the culprit was in his midst.

"Hey, Marshall," Ryder said, gently shaking the pup. He woke up Everest while he was at it too.

"Ah, I was getting to the good part," she whined.

Marshall jolted awake, a look of fear was in his eyes. He was relieved to see Ryder standing over him. "What do you need, Ryder?" he asked, giving out a puppy yawn.

"Katie called this morning," he said with a grave look on his face.

"What's wrong? Is Chase okay?" Everest asked

"He's stable, but….we almost lost him again last night," he said sadly.

"WHAT?!" Marshall exclaimed. "What do you mean, lost him again?"

"What happened this time?"

"His heart stopped and Katie had to bring him back." A tear shed from her eye. "She said that if she doesn't get the medical help she needs within a day, the next time we lose him…..she might not be able to bring him back."

"First, he goes into shock! Then he has a seizure! Now his heart shuts down! What else could possibly go wrong?" Everest barked seriously.

Marshall went limp and crashed down onto the cushion. This is all my fault. I should have helped at the first opportunity. He felt a paw touch his shoulder. It was Everest.

"You need to go to Katie's," she whispered. "It's the only way Chase will make it out of this alive. She can't do it without your help."

"But what if I screw up?" he replied. "If I do, then Rocky's accusations would be true."

Ryder silenced him. "You shouldn't have to worry about, Rocky. I had a long talk with him last night and he finally agreed to apologize, but only if you help fix Chase."

"He's just as hurt by this incident as you are, he's just angry that we couldn't do anything to prevent it," Everest reassured. "I promise you he will come around. I'll make him if he doesn't."

Oh, I'd pay to see that! "I hope you're right, Everest." He looks at Ryder and nods his head. "I'll go and help Katie. I'll do it for Chase." He wouldn't be having any sort of issue if I hadn't of beaten him to a pulp. "But what if I-."

Everest placed a paw on his mouth and kissed him on the forehead. "I was saving that for a rainy day, but I guess you needed the extra boost of confidence."

Marshall felt immobilized from her touch and her words. She did it before I did! I feel so loved. He started blushing as red as his fire truck. His tail was wagging and his heart was beating. "Thanks, Everest."

She smiled. "Anytime. Now get off your butt and go help Katie," she ordered.

Marshall cowered from her. What was the kiss for then? "Kiss me once and you think you own me," he joked.

"MARSHALL!" Everest shouted.

Marshall gulped and stared at Ryder, who said nothing. "Gonna let her treat me like this?"

Ryder snickered. "As long as she doesn't hurt you, she can do whatever she wants." Without another word, he walked out leaving the two pups alone.

Marshall stared at Everest, who looked back with a smug look on her face. "Why must the girls always win?" He stood up and began to walk out.

"Marshall?" Everest called.

The dally stopped to see her standing in front of him. "Yes?"

"Would you ummm…like to," she stammered.

"Go on, you can trust me," Marshall said.

Everest shook her head. "Never mind, I don't you to be distracted during the surgery. I'll tell you later. Now get going."

Marshall smiled lightly and walked out of the Lookout and jumped into his rig. He turned the engine over and began to drive the truck to Katie's.

The ride reminded Marshall of when he brought his best friend across a couple days prior. The pain and regret he had been feeling was coming at him in an anxiety attack. Marshall felt like someone shot him in the neck. He stopped the truck in the middle of the bridge and hopped off.

He felt sick to his stomach and threw up over the side of the bridge. It felt like fire was coming out as he hurled the contents of his stomach towards the ocean below. He curled up into a ball and began to bawl his eyes out.

"Chase! I'm sorry! I shouldn't have done it! I shouldn't have hurt you!" he cried. He continued to cry for a few more minutes. The pain in his stomach was unbearable, but it didn't as much as his heart did. Marshall sniffed and looked around at his surroundings.

His truck was still running loud and strong. There were people on the beach, enjoying the cool ocean water and the bright, warm sun. It would have been a nice day for the beach had Marshall not hurt Chase like he did.

His ears perked at a new sound. It was getting louder and louder. As it got closer, the sound became more clear; it was an approaching vehicle. He stared towards the end of the bridge and saw who it was.

"Oh no, not her," he whimpered. _Why does she have to be here now?_

The vehicle stopped and the pup hopped out.

"Everest, what are you doing?" Marshall asked.

"I wanted to make sure you got to Katie's safely," she responded. "What are you doing?"

"I had to stop, I didn't feel so good," he said, partially true. _I was crying my eyes out for nearly killing my friend, what else is new?_

Everest could have seen that fib from a mile away. She walked up to Marshall. "What aren't you telling me?"

"I'm not lying to you, that would be….wrong," he replied. I've been living a lie since I woke up two days ago.

"Then why were you crying? You think I didn't notice the tears in your eyes? Marshall, I know you're grieving for Chase. We all are. But we can't change what happened in the past. You need to move on and help your brother, Marshall."

"I realize that Chase is injured and hurting badly, but that's not why I am grieving," Marshall said, looking down in shame.

"What are you talking about, Marshall?" Everest had a extremely concerned look on her face, like Marshall was going to say he didn't like her or something. "Why are you grieving then?"

Marshall gulped. "Can you keep a secret?"

Everest stared at him oddly. "Yeah, I guess. I wouldn't tell anyone, if that's what you're asking."

Marshall looked away from her. "I did something, Everest. Something that I can't take back..," he opened his mouth to speak more, but she stopped him. Marshall pushed her away. "What was that for?"

"Because I know you're going to say Marshall."

"Y-you d-do?" he asked, his lips quivering. _She couldn't know! That would be impossible!_

She nodded. "And I know you didn't mean to do it."

"Then what did I do," Marshall demanded defiantly.

Everest walked up to him and pushed him against his fire truck. She stared deeply into his eyes, with a look of knowing in her own.

"You hurt Chase! And I watched you do it!"

* * *

 **A/N: A little early for Marshall to be exposing the truth? Or was it about time? I won't say what happens next, but I hope you guys have pretty good guesses. I realize that i haven't done these yet in a chapter. NEW QUESTIONS!**

 **What's your favorite part so far?**

 **Did Marshall do the right thing coming forward?**

 **Will Everest keep it a secret or do the right thing?**

 **(QUESTIONS FOR THE AUTHOR)**

 **ASK ME ANYTHING YOU WANT. IN THE NEXT CHAPTER, YOU'LL HAVE AN ANSWER.**

 **That's all I got for you guys today Thanks for sticking with me this far. See you all in the next one.**

 **AtlasWolfActual out!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: With all the love and support I am getting from you guys, I can't help but ask. If this story ends the way I want it to….anyone interested in a sequel? I know that I stated that this MxE story was a one and done kind of thing, but with the attention it is getting and how much fun I am having writing it, I just figured I'd see what your guys opinions would be.**

 **I want to personally thank the viewer who accepted my apology. You have no idea the kind of weight you just took off my shoulders. I had read it before I took my shower and I have no shame in saying that I cried that whole time. It felt great to let it all out. I have nothing to give you but my gratitude and my thanks. You truly are a wonderful person.**

 **I apologize for deleting this chapter. The first review I read had some good constructive criticism in it, hence the deletion of the chapter. I'm not going to do this for every chapter, but I encourage you guys to give some constructive criticism. It helps a lot and I like this chapter a lot more than what it was.**

 **PS: Chapters will remain the length that they are. I don't want to overwhelm you guys and make you lose interest with a 5,000 word chapter. Besides, it's easier to write 1,500 word chapters. And everything you see italicized is a thought, just so you're aware.**

 **Well, I'm gonna shut up and let you guys read, seeing see as though half of you probably breezed right past this. Not a bad thing, but you're missing out on the news that I share. "Shut up, Atlas, let them read," said my inner conscious.**

 **Welcome to Chapter 6 of Hearts of Ice and Fire!**

* * *

He didn't want to believe what Everest just said to him. _You hurt Chase! And I watched you do it!_ It felt like his life was about to end. He could see it all unfolding in his mind. Everest would tell Ryder, Ryder would get mad, Marshall would go to jail, and everyone lives happily ever after. The young dally hoped that wasn't the case as he stared at the love of his life.

She had a serious glare and her lips were quivering. As if she was holding back a snarl of anger. But her tail told the truth. It was shoved in-between her legs and she shook; she was scared. Everest finally broke the silence.

"Why?"

"That's a fair question," Marshall replied seriously. "Why didn't you tell Ryder in the first place?"

"I asked you a question first."

"Who cares!" Marshall snapped.

Everest yipped at his sudden ferocity. Usually she was the intimidating one; the hunter. Now she felt like the hunted instead.

Marshall realized he was scaring her and tried to comfort her. But each time he got close, she would growl at him in fear. She's scared of me. He walked a few feet away from her and turned his back to hers. If she wanted to kill him, now was her chance.

"I didn't tell Ryder because I wanted to know the full truth," she finally said, her voice coming out in a sad croak.

Marshall snapped his gaze at her. "Why? So you can tell Ryder everything? So that I can get kicked off the team?"

"You're worried about getting kicked off the team the most? You nearly killed Chase."

"He's still breathing, isn't he?"

"Why do you sound like you wished he was killed? I thought you cared about him."

Marshall sighed. "I do, but we wouldn't be in this mess if he hadn't said the things he said to me."

"You wouldn't be in this mess if you hadn't lost your temper and attacked Chase," Everest retorted. "I heard him beg for forgiveness, but I was too scared to even move. I can still hear the screams and the sound of his bones breaking."

"It'll teach him to not say mean things."

"It'll teach you to not be so sensitive."

Marshall did his best to stay calm. What is she doing? Is she trying to piss me off? "Well what am I supposed to do? I can't exactly place the blame on somebody else."

"What you need to do is tell Ryder the truth. If you don't tell him, he'll figure out the truth sooner or later and then you're really in trouble."

Marshall ignored her, as what he just said brought an idea into his mind. "I might have an idea."

"Well what would that be exactly?"

"We tell Ryder that a stray did it," Marshall said.

"A stray!" Everest gasped. "How are we going to pull that off?"

"You said that you watched me hurt Chase, right?" Marshall didn't like to ask that question, but it was important for his plan.

Everest nodded sadly. "I did, yes."

"Then we tell Ryder what you told me, but instead of me attacking Chase, you say it was a stray that did it," he explained.

Everest was in shock. "You want me to lie?"

"What other option do I have, Everest?"

"Coming forward and telling the truth. Not hiding behind some senseless lie."

As she said that, Marshall's pup tag went off. It was Ryder.

"Marshall, where are you? I thought you were going to Katie's?" He sounded desperate and worried. Chase's life was hanging in the balance and Marshall was dilly dallying on the bridge.

"I'm sorry, Ryder. I felt sick to the stomach and I had to stop," he answered.

"It's fine, just get to Katie's. Chase can't hold on much longer. Ryder out." With that, communication was cut and it left Marshall and Everest on the bridge. He looked ashamed and she looked disappointed.

"Really? Sick to your stomach? That's the best you could come up with?"

Marshall was becoming more irritated with her. "You expected me to give in that easily? If so, that's pathetic."

"If anyone is pathetic, it's you." She barred her teeth in a snarl. "I don't like calling you that, but if it get's through that head of yours, then I'm all for it."

Marshall felt her words sting his heart. Everything she said was right, but he didn't want to give in. "Let me ask you something. Are you scared of me?"

Everest shifted uncomfortably and gulped. "I am scared of you. You aren't the same pup that I've come to know."

"If you're so scared of me, then why have you been with me the past few days?"

"Because everyone else didn't want to make you feel bad. They don't know about this, but Rocky's accusation really gave the others quite a scare." She sighed. "I was the most scared, on account of watching you injure Chase. Every time you fell asleep, I would get up and walk away from you, because I was frightened that you would hurt me."

"Then why stay with me? Why go through all the trouble of confronting me right now?"

"Because I wanted answers. And I want to help you get through this," she said thoughtfully.

Marshall shook his head. "I'm a lost cause, Everest! I am what Rocky calls me every time he sees me. A traitor."

"It's a lesson you will learn, Marshall. But before I can forgive you, you need to forgive yourself. Living a lie is not the best route. All those years in the arctic on my own, I made decisions that I regret. But I moved past them and they've shaped me into who I am today."

"Oh spare me your backstories, please!" he snapped. "I highly doubt they were as bad as my situation now."

"Keep that attitude up, I dare you," she challenged. "Because you aren't getting anyone's forgiveness if you're going to act this way."

Marshall drooped his head. "I don't think I can forgive myself, Everest. I've failed myself. I've failed Chase. And I have failed the team, especially you and Ryder."

"Why me? What have you failed me for?"

Marshall shook his head. "You wanna know my reason for attacking Chase?"

Everest's eyes shot open. "Sure," she said skeptically.

Okay, here it goes. Marshall took a deep breath. "The reason for the attack was because of something he said to me. I got angry with him and I attacked him."

"What did he say to you?"

 _Lot's of mean things that I took too literally_. "Nothing very nice. He talked about me not having a chance with my crush. Told me to find him when I stopped pouting. He even called me a clumsy pup."

Everest nodded her head. "I see. So this really was you losing your cool and brutally attacking one of our friends."

Marshall drooped his head in absolute shame and nodded. A tear formed in his eye.

"Who's your crush?" Everest seemed a little intrigued.

Marshall looked up at her and sniffed. "You tell me…I'm looking right at her."

Everest gasped, but said nothing.

Marshall felt the regret as soon as he saw her reaction. His head drooped once more. _There goes your chances, Marshall. Down the drain in the sewers._ "Everest, I-," he looked up to see her in her rig.

She didn't want to make eye contact with him. "If you really like me, then prove to me that you're a good pup. Then we'll talk. But right now your brother's life is hanging in the balance. If he makes it through surgery, I guess I'll consider helping you with your plan." With that said, she drove away leaving Marshall alone on the bridge.

He watched her drive away. "Don't worry. I'll prove myself." He hopped in his rig and headed off to Katie's.

* * *

Katie was waiting for him inside. Her expression was mixed when he walked in. A mix between grateful and annoyed. "About time you got here," she said. "Ready to go to work."

Marshall noticed she was ready for surgery. She had her doctor's gown on and a facemask hung around her neck with an elastic strap. "Let's do this," he said, walking into the operating room and freezing when he saw Chase.

The poor German Shepherd looked to be in his worst of states. A plastic tube was shoved down his throat. He could see the condensation building up on the tube and going away with each inhale. There was a chest wrap on him for his broken ribs, and his hind legs were in blue casts. His ears and other two feet twitched occasionally.

"How are his hind legs?"

He heard Katie sigh.

"I still haven't done a x-ray on them yet. My machine is fried, it needs to be replaced."

"When can we know?"

"In about a week or so, when the new machine gets here."

Marshall whimpered. _I could have prevented this by keeping my cool_.

"Don't worry, Marshall. He'll be okay. I promise," she reassured. "Who would do such a thing to a sweet pup?"

"A monster, that's who." _I'm the monster and I hurt my brother._ Marshall sniffed and wiped his eyes. "What's first?"

"The ribs. They're set, but even I don't trust myself. We need to get him open and set them properly. We'll clean up any other internal injuries while we're at it," she explained.

Marshall gulped. "Sounds good. Let's get started."

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for the support you guys. I've loved the reviews you guys give me, it keeps me going and always makes my days go by quicker and better. I don't plan on doing a surgery chapter, mainly because I don't know how to write one. LOL XD! NEW QUESTIONS**

 **-Do you like my unique approach to using Marshall?**

 **-Do you have any requests for what should happen next? If so, what?**

 **Oh, and one more thing, before I forget. I mentioned Marshall's idea in this chapter, about the stray and all. Would it be appropriate or okay, if I used one of my OC's as a one and done sort of thing?**

 **Thanks for all the love and I hope you stay interested!**

 **AtlasWolfActual Out!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I'm loving the constant support with this story. It helps me want to write more for it and write better for it. It has surpassed 2,000 views in five chapters which I believe is faster than my other story, Bring Her Home. It already has 12 Favorites and 13 follows and 50 reviews. That's incredible and I can't help but feel happy and successful.**

 **Special Thanks to: Demberway, Sharks of Darkness, Everest500, MarshallB, Magical20, V-Dawg, Titanflame, and all the assorted guests with no names.**

 **You've all given your best support and have given your honest opinions. I love an honest opinion. Of anything, I love a person that has the integrity to give an honest opinion. My life is built off of integrity and I don't cheat myself because of it. So thank you again for being the honest and kind people that I have ever had the pleasure of getting to know.**

 **Welcome to Chapter 7 of Hearts of Ice and Fire**

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They had worked through the entire night to give Chase another chance at life. And they accomplished that goal ten fold. Katie was smart to actually set Chase's ribs for they weren't as properly set as she had predicted. And Chase had five broken ribs, instead of the original three.

Marshall was relieved to find that his damage caused to Chase's organs was only minor. The liver and kidneys were slightly bruised and everything else was just tender. But they did find another new break in Chase's left paw. Apparently, when he was attacked, his paw had twisted a complete one-hundred-and-eighty degrees snapping the bones in his wrist completely.

But going through the entire night had made both Marshall and Katie exhausted beyond their wildest dreams. So exhausted that, Marshall contemplated throwing Chase off the gurney and curling up for a well deserved nap. But Katie must have seen the look in Marshall's eye because she kicked him out of the operating room as soon as she could.

Marshall had found a chair to call his bed for, well, the daytime nap. He was curled up in a tight all and his tail rested over his muzzle. He felt warm and comfortable, but his mind wasn't as his dream was beginning to set in.

 _ **~Dreamscape~**_

The young fire pup found himself back at the lookout. The sky was grey and there was a light breeze coming off of the ocean. It brought a salty smell, which made Marshall twitch his nose in discomfort. He stared at the Lookout tower. There were no pups, no toys and no Ryder in sight. The place looked vacant and old.

Marshall gulped and began to slowly walk towards his pup house. The pup houses he passed had their doors closed and they had weeds growing around them. "Where is everybody?" he asked to himself quietly. That's when the pain finally hit him.

He began feeling his ribs breaking, legs cracking and headache throbbing. Marshall screamed in pain and fell to the ground. It was painful to move, but he realized what the pain was supposed to be from. As quick as all the pain came, it disappeared and he stood up like nothing had happened.

Sweat dripped off his head face and his whole body felt sore. "That's what Chase went through? I caused him all that pain."

"You did cause me all that pain," growled a new voice, which Marshall had grown up knowing.

Marshall turned around to see Chase standing in front of him. "I regret doing that, Chase. I'm sorry."

Chase scoffed and began to circle around Marshall. "Sorry? Sorry! That's the same word I was screaming as you beat me to death. But no! Sorry meant nothing to you at the time and it doesn't mean anything to you now."

"That's not true," cried Marshall, his tail tucking between his legs. "I-I care about you. You-you're my brother."

Chase pushed Marshall to the ground and stood over him. "You lost that title the moment you tried to kill me."

Marshall wanted to fight back, but thinking of hurting Chase wasn't on his mind. "Who's fault is that?"

"Yours, you idiot," Chase snapped. 'You overreacted because I hugged Everest."

Marshall closed his eyes a let his head lay on the cold concrete. "In that case, if you're here to kill me, please just do it already."

"Kill you? I think that would be letting you off too easy. I think you deserve to live with this regret. You get to live the rest of your life as a lie. That is your punishment."

Marshall whined, but said nothing. Works for me, I guess.

"But to give you an example of the hell I went through." He grabbed Marshall by the head and placed it just inside his pup house. "This is what you put me through," he said, hitting the button and slamming the door down on Marshall's head

"Marshall."

 _ **~End of Dreamscape~**_

"Marshall."

Katie was shaking Marshall, trying to get him to wake up. "Wake up, buddy."

Marshall's eyes shot open and he let out a scream. He felt a pair of arms wrap around him tightly. His breathing was hyperventilated and his eyes were looking around the room. "Where's Chase?" he asked, his voice full of fear.

"He's still in the operating room. Remember, we performed the surgery throughout the night?" She walked him over to the operating room doors and opened them. "See? He's right there. Why did you ask where he is?"

"He was in my nightmare," Marshall sighed. He looked at Chase on the gurney, or at least the dark silhouette of him on his back.

Katie hummed and closed the doors. "Tell me about this nightmare."

Marshall froze up. _I can't tell her the actual dream. That's like signing my own death warrant._ "I…umm…uhh..," he stammered. He started to hyperventilate again.

Katie held him once more, seeing as it worked the first time. "That nightmare must have really done a number on you, huh?"

Marshall nodded his head. "I dreamt that we performed the surgery, but this time, Chase he…..he didn't make it. I tried to save him, but he wouldn't come back. It just really scared me seeing him die in my dream. It felt so real."

"Chase is fine, Marshall. I was finishing up a checkup on him and his vitals are all much stronger," she reassured, placing an arm around Marshall and taking a seat on the floor with him.

"But what about his legs? We still have about a week until the new x-ray machine get's here," Marshall replied.

"I actually thought about that. What if we use your x-ray screen?"

Marshall shook his head. "It'll detect the breaks in his legs, but it's not powerful enough to detect spinal injuries."

"Can't you upgrade it?"

Marshall shrugged. "With the right material and the right knowledge, anything can be upgraded. But as for my x-ray screen, the issue would be trying to find someone to do it."

"What about Ryder? He invented almost all the things that you guys use. Surely he could upgrade your x-ray screen," she suggested.

"If that was the case, he'd have done it when he built it the first time."

"What about Rocky? He's tech savvy and he is really smart."

"Rocky and I aren't exactly on the same page at the moment. I highly doubt he'd do anything for me. He blames me for Chase's injuries." Too bad his accusations have to be true. "So I think we need to wait for the real x-ray machine to get here."

Katie huffed. "So that's it? You're gonna let Rocky's accusation get to you. You do that, then we are risking Chase's recovery." She looked at Marshall. "I seriously think you should consider talking with him."

Marshall sighed. "I'll talk to him as a last resort, but I think I'll talk with Ryder first."

Katie shrugged. "Your call, but I still think that Rocky is going to be the better option."

 _I hope you're wrong. I don't want to talk to Rocky._ Marshall stood up and walked to the door, but stopped to look back at her. "Call me if you need any help," he said, before walking out of the building, hopping into his rig, and driving towards the Lookout.

Marshall remembered the conversation between him and Everest as he passed the halfway point of the bridge. He remembered exposing his affections for Everest, and her telling him to prove himself. "I will prove myself to you. I am a good pup."

The Lookout finally came in sight, and Marshall always shivered at its beauty. Something about its shape and color made him feel happy. But this time was different. This time it sent a dark memory into Marshall's mind; the memory of him beating Chase.

"Why did I do it? I should've just pretended to be mad, not actually get mad. None of this should have ever happened."

Marshall stepped on the gas and drove up the driveway. He pulled into his vehicle stall and hopped off in a graceful bound. "Now time to find Ryder," he said, walking into the Lookout only to bump into someone.

It was Rocky

The mix-breed growled at Marshall. "What are you still doing here?"

"I came to talk with Ryder, it's important. Have you seen him?"

"What's it to you? Gonna hurt him too?"

"Why do you keep saying I am going to hurt someone?"

"Because you nearly killed Chase."

"Where's your proof? And don't give me that, _he was the last one to see him_ , business."

Rocky screwed his lips shut, seeing as though he couldn't answer Marshall. "I might not have proof, but I will say one thing. If you didn't hurt Chase, then why didn't you try and help him when he was being attacked?"

Marshall suppressed a growl, but a tingling feeling at the back of his head was telling him that Rocky found a loophole. "I don't have time for you. Now unless you can't tell me where Ryder is, I'll go and find him myself," Marshall said, pushing past Rocky with a shove.

"What was that for?"

"Why don't you go and complain about it? It's all you're ever really good at nowadays," Marshall said rudely.

He heard Rocky growl loudly, but chose to ignore him. "Ryder!" he called, hearing his echo throughout the Lookout. "Ryder!"

"He's in his room," Rocky mumbled. "And Marshall?"

Marshall moaned annoyingly and looked at Rocky. "What?"

"You ever shove me like that again, I swear I'll-," Rocky began

Marshall interrupted. "You'll what? Attack me? Beat me to death?"

Rocky shut his mouth and said nothing.

Marshall scoffed. "That's what I thought. You wouldn't be any better than the jerk that attacked Chase. So don't you dare make threats you can't back up." _I am that jerk. What have I done to my friends?_

Rocky growled deep in his throat and walked away.

Marshall exhaled loudly after he left. "I need to stop being mean. I promised Everest. But at least I know where Ryder is." Thanks, Rocky.

Marshall went to Ryder's room which was located on the opposite side of the Lookout. He approached the door and held up his paw to knock. He flexed his muscle to begin knocking, but stopped. What was I going to ask again? Oh, right. He knocked on the door three times, evenly spaced and in tune to each other.

"Come in," said Ryder's muffled voice fro the other side of the door.

Marshall opened the door and found Ryder in bed, followed by a series of coughs from Ryder. "Ryder, you okay?"

"I…*cough*…I'm not…*cough*….feeling very good," he said, his voice sounding very froggy. "What do you…*cough*…need?"

"Well, I was going to ask if my x-ray screen could be upgraded so Katie could use it? Her machine is broken and the new one won't be here for another week."

Ryder nodded and breathed in and out. It seemed like he was struggling to even breath. "I could upgrade it if…*cough*…if I wasn't sick. Have you asked…*cough*…asked Rocky?"

Marshall shook his head. "I haven't. He still thinks that I hurt Chase. I doubt he wants to give me any help."

Ryder nodded. "I understand. Go get him and…*cough*…send him to me. I'll set him straight and get him to…*cough*…help you." Ryder reached towards a glass of water near his bed, but it was out of reach.

Marshall quickly pushed the glass closer, so Ryder could grab it.

Ryder took a drink and let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Marshall," he said, his voice sounding better already. "Go get Rocky. If he doesn't, tell him he is in big trouble."

Marshall nodded. "Yes, Ryder. Do you want me to come back with him?"

"No, just send him here. I need a few words…*cough*…in private with him. Just be ready to get your x-ray screen ready for him to work on."

"Okay, I'll go get him. Get better soon."

"Good pup," Ryder whispered.

Marshall ran back outside and went over to Rocky's pup house. _Hopefully he is in a more listening mood._ Marshall raised his paw to knock, but this time before Marshall could knock, the door opened.

"What do you want?" Rocky huffed. "Come to hurt me too?"

"Ryder needs you and if I was going to hurt you, you'd be dead already. You really need to stop accusing me of wrong doing." He's following his gut feeling, which is on the right track so far. Stop being mean, Marshall.

"Stand up for yourself then. Prove your innocence to me and I might consider being nice to you again."

Marshall felt the urge to uppercut Rocky. A clean blow would knock the foolish mix-breed unconscious. _Not a good idea, but a nice idea_. "Right now, I don't care about you or you being nice. Ryder wants to speak to you. Apparently, you're in big trouble."

Rocky gulped and started to shake. "Wh-what did he tell you?"

"What are you talking about? He didn't tell me anything. So just do as he asks or you're going to find yourself in more trouble."

Rocky groaned. "Fine." He walked past Marshall and into the Lookout.

Marshall's head drooped as he walked to his pup house. "I hope that this was all worth it," he said as he walked into his pup house and shut the door.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for tuning in you guys. Can't wait to see your reviews. Remember to Follow/Favorite and I'll see you guys in the next one.**

 **AtlasWolfActual Out!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I'm loving all the reviews that I see with each chapter update especially from one of my favorite guests, Not Obama Again. My friend, I love the constructive criticism from you. Especially in the recent chapters. You said I rushed things in Chapter 6 and I fixed it. You mentioned the summary and the genre's for this story and I fixed them. Although I was planning on fixing them, you pulled the trigger and got me to do it. And I have to say, when you reviewed, "That's Better." I have to say I laughed my butt off. So I appreciate you as a person and as a viewer. Thank you. And thank you to the favs and follows, they mean a lot to me as well.**

 **Welcome to Chapter 8 of Hearts of Ice and Fire**

* * *

About an hour had passed and Rocky had not yet knocked on Marshal's pup house. It didn't come to any surprise for Marshall. He kind of expected it and embraced it with open arms. But it also disappointed him. Mainly because he was letting Chase and Katie down.

He felt sick to his stomach again. But since he hadn't eaten since the day before, there was nothing to come out. Marshall contemplated whether or not to go get some food, but was too depressed to even move. So he just laid in bed, sprawled out across it, and did his best to try and sleep.

Sleep did eventually come, but for only about five minutes. Making it short lived for Marshall, which made him upset. He had been awakened to a knocking at the door. Which was bitter sweet to him. Or was it?

He slowly stood up and mentally prepared for any insult Rocky had up his sleeve and opened the door, only to see someone else entirely.

"Everest," Marshall said quietly. "What are you doing here?"

"Ryder called me," she replied. "He told me that Rocky was being mean to you and he thought you needed company."

Marshall sighed. "I guess I do need a friend." He stretched and walked past Everest and took a seat down on the grass.

Everest took a seat a few feet away from him. "How's Chase?"

 _She's still scared of me. I better work on regaining her trust._ "He'll make it," Marshall said happily. "We worked through the night and now all we have to worry about are his legs."

"Well, why haven't you done that yet?" She looked confused and worried.

"Because Katie is worried about Chase's spine. She thinks there might be some damage to it. So for right now, he has casts on his legs to keep them from moving." He drooped his head. "I still can't believe I did that much damage to him."

"Well, you did to that much damage. That's something that you'll have to live with forever."

Marshall gulped sadly and sniffed. _So much for needing a friend._

"But, you've righted some of your wrongs by fixing him. But I still don't think I can forgive you for what you did. Chase getting hurt gave everyone quite a scare. Me watching you hurt him was terrifying."

"Please don't remind me," Marshall croaked. A tear fell from his eye and rolled off his cheek. "I want to forget that day and forgive myself."

Everest looked surprised. "You're actually trying to change?"

Marshall nodded. "Like you said. Before I can be given forgiveness, I have to forgive myself." He looked her in the eye. "I want to prove to you that I am a good pup and a good friend."

Everest sighed. "Well, I think you're on the right track so far. But you still have a long way to go." She walked up to him and put a paw on his shoulder. "I believe that you'll get through this."

Marshall melted. He needed all the reassurance that he could get. Whether it be from a stranger, a friend, a team member or Ryder. Any of it was welcome. He didn't want Rocky's insults or mean comments. Even though they were true and that he was living the lie. For the first time in the past few days, Marshall felt loved and cared for. Like the events had never happened and everything was back to normal. "Thank you, Everest."

Everest stepped away from him. "You're welcome, Marshall."

"Ahem," said a new voice.

Both pups turned to see Rocky staring at them. He looked annoyed and powerless. _Ryder's talk must have done a number or two on him._

"Well, now that I have your attention. I'm-."

"What do you want Rocky? Come to insult Marshall some more?" Everest growled.

Rocky ignored her. "I'm here to give him the help that he needs. Marshall?"

Marshall looked at Rocky skeptically, like he was going to regret it later. "Yes, Rocky."

"I'd like see the x-ray screen from your pup pack. I'm going to upgrade it so you can finish helping Chase."

Marshall was in shock. This isn't the same Rocky from earlier today. "No insult? No mean comment?"

"Oh trust me. I'm holding back the urge to say something right now. Don't tempt me. So do you have the x-ray screen or not?"

"You know where my pup packs are. Go get it yourself," Marshall said quietly. _So much for being Mr. Nice Guy._

Rocky screwed his lips in frustration, but didn't say anything else as he walked away.

Marshall watched him walk into the Lookout and disappear. He turned back to look at Everest. Her expression was shocked. "What?"

"What? What do you mean, what? You just got mad at Rocky for no reason."

Marshall shrugged. "So? Why should I be nice to someone who has been mean to me?"

"Because you getting mad at him only makes him want to hate you more."

"He already hates me, Everest. I can't change what he thinks about me." I wish I could though.

"You have got to learn to control that temper of your before someone else gets hurt," she growled.

Marshall felt that one sting his heart. "You think that I want to hurt another pup? The moment I was finished hurting Chase. That millisecond in time. I regretted it. I wish I had never done it. And for about five seconds, I thought I had killed him."

"But you didn't kill him. Don't you get it? I don't want you to hurt anyone else. That's something no pup should ever have to live through twice."

The young dally sighed and a tear rolled down his cheek. "I'm gonna go find Rocky. I'll find you afterwards." He said nothing else as he went to find his former friend.

He found Rocky inside working on his x-ray screen. He was at the kitchen counter with a rubber work mat laid out. Rocky had his tools strung out across the table and there was a MP3 player with no music playing or headphones attached. The mix-breed had the whole system laid out on the rubber mat all neatly and organized. "You're pretty quick with the disassembly."

Rocky pretended that he didn't hear Marshall and continued working.

"How long should it take for you to get it upgraded?"

Rocky still didn't hear him.

Marshall knew what Rocky was doing. _Gonna ignore me huh? I know this might be childish, but…_ Marshall pushed a piece out of its place. And another. And another.

Rocky sighed and put his tools down. "Are you done? Because I'm kinda busy upgrading your x-ray screen. The longer you interfere with me, the longer it will take for you to get back to Chase and finish fixing him."

"Well now you're not ignoring me," Marshall said

"I wasn't ignoring you. In fact, I heard you walk in and talk to me," Rocky replied, looking over at Marshall.

"Anyway, I just wanted to say that I am sorry for how I talked to you. It was rude of me. And I am sorry," Marshall said respectfully.

"If you think I am gonna accept that apology, think again. And I won't be returning the favor until I know that Chase is gonna be okay." The pup looked serious by this. His whole facial expression said it all. "And your x-ray screen should be ready within the hour. I'll bring it to you when it is finished."

Marshall dipped his head. "Thanks, Rocky. And….when this is all over, can we be friends again?"

"I'll think about it," Rocky said, before returning to his work.

Marshall quickly shuffled away from Rocky so that he could work. At least he didn't make a mean comment. I wonder what Ryder said to him? "Well I best go find Everest," he said, trying to find his husky friend.

He found her out by the tire swing. She was laying below the tree and was staring off into the branches above, which shifted ever so slightly in the light breeze. The sun shined down through the cracks in between the leaves and branches, decorating the ground with light and dark shadows. Marshall approached her and laid down next to her, keeping a two foot gap between them. He sighed which got her attention.

"How did the apology go?" she asked, still gazing at the branches.

Marshall recollected the prior conversation with Rocky. "It went by better and a lot faster than expected, but I still managed to irritate him by moving a few pieces out of place."

"Well that's good, but why move the pieces?"

"To get his attention. He was deliberately ignoring me," Marshall replied quickly. _Stupid! Stupid! Why did I even do that?_

"Hmm, and did he accept your apology?" she asked, tilting her head to look at him.

Marshall shook his head and looked over. "He wouldn't accept the apology or apologize to me until Chase was for sure going to be okay."

"Marshall, I just wanted to say that I am sorry," Everest said.

The pup looked back confusingly. "For what?"

"Getting mad at you for getting mad at Rocky. I had no right to barge in between your guys confrontation. Something that only you two need to settle," she said quietly and politely.

"It's fine, but I can't say I'm sorry," he said sadly.

"Why?"

"Because it won't be worth it. The apology wouldn't be accepted."

"In good time pup. In good time. I'm sure you'll find peace."

 _Yeah, but how long do I have to keep living this nightmare?_ He decided to switch subjects. "Have you seen anyone else lately? I haven't seen anyone since the day of the incident…..the day I hurt my best friend."

Everest shook her head. "I have not seen anyone, including Ryder."

"Ryder's down with a bad cough and maybe a fever," Marshall said. "He should be okay though."

"That's good and I think the other pups have been trying to find out who did it. I did overhear Rubble, Zuma, and Skye talking about trying to do that. And now we haven't seen them since."

"They're looking in the wrong direction," Marshall sighed _. They're looking for me. I just wish that they would figure out it was me_. "Hey, Everest?"

"Yes, Marshall."

"Do you think Chase will forgive me?"

"I don't know, Marshall. I really don't know."

That's reassuring! "Well, I'm gonna take this time to go sleep. Once Rocky get the x-ray screen back to me, I'm going straight to Katie's," he explained while getting up and giving his fur a good shake.

"Sounds good, see ya Marshall," Everest said, staying where she laid.

"Later, Everest," Marshall said, walking away to his pup house.

Marshall opened his pup house and flipped a light switch on. Despite the size of the actual pup house, the inside was rather spacious. His bed was on the far side and he had shelves cut into the walls where he kept various pictures.

All the pictures on one shelf were of him and Chase growing up. He grabbed one of them dated back a couple of years when they were both still learning to walk. Marshall had fallen on his side and Chase was giggling _. Kinda of how it is now, but vice versa I guess._

But the next picture came full circle with the last one. It was of Chase helping Marshall back on his feet and hugging it out. It had a stenciled message on the frame and it said: _Through times of hurt and crisis, they will always be brothers._

It was from his mother before she died. It was her final gift to him. She had died of a heart attack nearly a year ago. Losing her brought Marshall to the most emotional turmoil he had ever been in. He didn't eat, he didn't sleep, and he didn't come out of his pup house for three days. Ryder actually had to take him to Katie's because he had dehydrated himself to the point of dying. But she was at peace and that did make him feel somewhat better.

He kissed the photo of his mother, which he kept by his bed. "I miss you, mom. Sorry you have to witness all this. It's my fault. But I'll make it up to everyone, especially Chase. You can't lose both of your sons now." He set the photo down and picked up another photo of him and Chase.

It was of them sleeping together after a hard days work. They were nestled up against Chase's mom's belly. Her face was cut out of frame, but he knew that she was happy to have them. She might have been a German Shepherd, but she was like Marshall's second mother. "Miss you too, mom. I'm sorry I hurt your son. It shouldn't have happened." He set it down and laid down in his bed

He cried himself to sleep. The emotional turmoil of hurting Chase and losing his mother were weighing down heavily on him. His emotions let it all go in a five minute crying session, until sleep finally overtook him with dried tears in his fur.

About an hour had passed and for the second time in Marshall's day he woke up to a knocking on his door. He wiped his eyes and could hear a muffled voice from the other side.

"Marshall, your x-ray screen is finished. I'll leave it right outside, so you and I don't have to argue. Fix Chase and bring him home. We all miss him." He sounded sad, but also regretful. Like saying that was a workout all on its own.

Marshall heard him walk away by the sound of his footsteps getting quieter and quieter until they were gone. He waited about a minute just to make sure Rocky was gone. The dally was grateful for all that the mix-breed had done, but a confrontation with him was not on his list at the moment. Despite already being in a few with him already. It's like adding too much icing to a cake; it's just a bad idea and quite frankly disgusting.

He opened the door and found his pup pack laying there, which he quickly put on. It felt slightly heavier, maybe by about another half a pound. "Arrf, x-ray screen.," he commanded, and the screen popped out. "Whoa, this is cool!"

The screen was impressive. A little larger than it was before and a new paint job as well. Along with the original frame being red, it had black accents and the fire emblem on the back was blacked out as well. The screen pulled around to be right in front of Marshall's face and it turned on, revealing it's staggering new abilities.

"Amazing," Marshall exclaimed.

The screen showed a dark blue representation of Marshall's surrounding and occasionally sent out a light blue ring which showed the objects nearby; kind of like a pulse. Marshall saw what the mode was called. "Sonar mode? Impressive." He saw thermal, x-ray and electronic. _Nice upgrades, Rocky!_

"Arrf, x-ray screen away," he commanded and the machine returned to its original home. "Now to get to Katie's," he said. "Arrf, pup house, transform." The pup house came alive with noise and took its shape as a firetruck. He hopped in and drove off to Katie's.

As he arrived, he heard ran inside to find Katie next to Chase giving him a check up. "I have the x-ray screen and it's ready to rock and roll. How's Chase doing?"

"He's fine." Katie set down a clip board and looked over at him. "He was awake earlier, but when I gave him the pain medication it knocked him right out."

"Did he say anything?" Something good, I hope.

Katie shook her head. "He was too delirious and sleepy to even speak. He just made coos and was whimpering, but he didn't say any words. It should wear off when he's ready to go home." She glanced at the pup pack on Marshall's back. "I just finished the check up. Ready to find out the truth of Chase's spine?"

Marshall gulped. "Y-yes." _Please let his legs be okay. I can't let my friend suffer for the rets of his life because of me_.

Katie nodded. "Let's do it."

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 **A/N: I hope you guys love it, because I sure did. Hope to see some fun reviews from you guys and do remember, Constructive Criticism is always welcomed! New Questions!**

 **\- Do you think Chase will be okay? (I'm talking about his legs and spine)**

 **\- Is Chase going to remember the things Marshall did to him?**

 **\- Will Marshall be able to prove himself**

 **Thanks for tuning in and I'll see you in the next one.**

 **Remember to Favorite/Follow**

 **AtlasWolfActual Out!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Let me tell you guys something, I never expected this story to be doing as well as I thought it would be. And it's done that in eight chapters, which is less than half than Bring Her Home. So good on you guys for taking this story far. It's been a hell of a run and we still got a hell of a long way to go. I do have a response to three reviews in particular:**

 **Demberway: I'm glad I'm keeping you interested and this party is just getting started.**

 **Not Obama Again: My friend, you have a deal. But too bad that is quite a long ways off.**

 **Harrison Kessler (Guest): Can you be a little more specific. Your review was a little bland.**

 **Cheers to all of you that reviewed, they mean a lot to me like no other. If you read Grateful, before I happily destroyed it, then you might know that reviews are the most important thing to me. So I'm glad to be getting the feedback from you guys.**

 **I'm gonna try a perspective with Everest for this chapter. Mainly because it's going to be easier for me to write than a Marshall perspective. Glad you guys understand, Okay bye!**

 **!Welcome to Hearts of Ice and Fire!**

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Everest had watched Rocky leave the x-ray screen on Marshall's doorstep. The sadness she saw in the mix-breed's body movements was astounding. His head was drooped and his tail drug lifelessly behind him. _He must feel bad about the things he said to Marshall_ , she thought as she watched him disappear into the Lookout

Moments later Marshall came out of his pup house. He toyed with his newly upgraded pup pack for a few moments before he hopped into his rig and set off. Everest almost wanted to wish him luck, but decided against it. _Good luck, Marshall. Bring Chase home for us._

She stood up and shook out her fur. A few strands of hair flying off with each effortless shake. "Downside of the breed, I guess," she joked, as she started to run to the Lookout, but was stopped by an approaching pup.

It was Zuma!

"Hey, Zuma," Everest greeted cheerfully.

"Hi, Evewest," the chocolate lab replied kindly. "What's up?"

"Not much, just….thinking, I guess," she said, with a shrug. "How's your day been going?"

"Could be wowse. One of youw teammates being bwutally injuwed can't weally beat it," he sighed, taking a seat by her.

"Yeah, poor Chase," Everest replied. _Wish he knew what I saw, but I can't betray Marshall._

"Who could have done that to him? He's a weally nice pup and gweat friend."

"I don't know, Zuma. I really don't know." I wonder where the other pups are? "Where are Rubble and Skye? I haven't seen them since….well….you know," she hinted, not wanting to mention when Chase was hurt.

"They took a day to go to the beach. I was actually just about to go and join them. Cawe to tag along?" Zuma seemed to beg for her to come, like they need another player for a game or something.

Everest shook her head slowly. "I'll pass, Zuma. I'm not really interested in getting sand in my fur. It's a real pain in the tail to clean out."

The chocolate lab looked disappointed. "Well, we will pwobably be thewe all aftewnoon." He placed a paw on her shoulder. "Chase will be fine. I know it." With that, he walked away and took off towards the beach.

"If only Chase was the one I was worrying about," she said, as she walked towards the Lookout tower. "I hope Marshall is doing his best."

She always admired the Lookout every time she walked in it. Being more accustomed to wooden lodges and snow forts, the female husky enjoyed the modern appeal whenever she could. It had way more technologies than she could have imagined. It had the elevator, the top floor with the observation deck, and all the little gadgets scattered through out.

She made her way to the kitchen, where she knew Ryder kept a secret stash of liver items especially for her. Everest could get just about any snack she wanted here. Liver treats, cakes, pies, pizza, you name it. If it could have liver in it, she could find it there.

Everest opened the refrigerator and pulled out her secret drawer, which was built into the base of the fridge. The immediate aroma of liver hit her nose and made her mouth water. She quickly helped herself to a bag of liver treats, and a slice of liver pizza; cold liver pizza, just how she liked it.

She set the food down into the granite peninsula and hopped into a nearby bar stool. As fast as she could, she downed the pizza slice, savoring its chilled goodness in a swift bite. "Oooh, that was good," she said, feeling satisfied. _Feels like I haven't eaten in days._

Everest stared at the small bag of liver treats. Ryder had specified that too many would make her sick, so he had each delivery of liver treats packed into small baggies. Each baggy contained about five treats, which to Everest was ridiculous. She had once eaten an entire order of one hundred treats in one sitting.

"But that did make me sick, if I do recall," she giggled as she happily ate the pup treats one by one. They each tasted as good as the last one. Soft centered and a crunchy shell, which is just how she liked it. Everest let out a tiny burp a few moments after eating the last treat. "Oops, excuse me," she stifled a giggle.

"Yeah, excuse you," grunted a voice behind her, which she recognized without turning.

 _Oh, what does he want?_ "You know it isn't polite to stare, Rocky," she said. "Some people might take offense to that."

"Wasn't staring," replied Rocky. "I was just coming to get a bite to eat. Upgrading a traitors equipment can sure make you hungry."

Everest turned around with her teeth bared. "Marshall is not a traitor," she growled. _How can I hold back the truth?_

"Do you really think that, Everest?" challenged the mix-breed.

She hopped off the chair and approached Rocky, who looked so smugly. "I don't think that, I know that!" _So much for him_ feeling _about saying mean things to Marshall._

"Well I don't believe what he has to say. He was the last one to be with Chase and a few moments later, Chase is unconscious with numerous broken bones and bruises. And Marshall plays the innocent card and acts like it wasn't his fault."

"Marshall claims he was in his pup house before Chase was attacked. He came out when he heard Chase screaming in pain." _Lord, help me from hurting this pup in front of me._

"Aha, you said claims, which means he was the only one who could validate that he was in his pup house. That makes him the primary suspect in this. Don't you see, Everest! Marshall is using his clumsiness and idiot mind against you to try and make you see him as an innocent. He is a traitor and you know it."

Everest lunged at him and pinned him to the ground. "He is not a TRAITOR!"

Rocky just looked up at her. "Only to prove my point more," he said, shoving her off and standing up. The pup shook out his fur and glared at her. "You might think you're right, but you're wrong. I'm disappointed that you can't see past your desires to make him yours."

"Make him mine? My desires? What the hell are you talking about?" Rocky please don't go there!

"I've seen the way you've looked at him in the past and how you have defended him. You like him a lot more than just a friend, and you know it," Rocky mocked.

"So what if I do? You gonna try and do something about it? You starting to have feelings for him too?" _Come on, Everest! Girl Power! Let's do this!_

"WHAT?! Oh, heck no! Me? Liking another male? Ha! That is the most stupidest thing I have ever heard of," he replied, blushing in embarrassment

"Almost as stupid as you calling Marshall a traitor. Maybe you're the real traitor and you just don't know it yet."

"How could I be the traitor? I've done nothing," he claimed.

"You've done nothing," she mocked. "All you've done is blame Marshall for everything without probable cause or proof at that. He has tried many times to prove himself to you and all you do is blow him off like he's a leaf in your fur."

Rocky growled loudly and opened his mouth to speak.

"ENOUGH!" shouted a young male voice.

"Ryder? I thought you were sick?" Everest asked, seeing the ten-year-old walk up to them, a disappointed expression portrayed on his face.

"I'm feeling a little better, but I I'm definitely not feeling good about one thing," he said, glaring over at Rocky.

Everest shuddered at seeing the evil glare in his eyes. Oh! Rocky's gonna get it now.

But then Ryder looked straight at her.

She gulped loudly. Thought too soon! I'm so gonna get it too.

Ryder folded his arms, showing his superiority. "Someone please explain to me what the heck is going on out here."

Neither pup answered. They both just looked down in shame, knowing that their argument with each other was pointless now.

"Well?"

Rocky was the first to raise his head. "It was my fault, Ryder. I started the engagement. Please just punish me," he begged. "Everest doesn't deserve any punishment."

"Bu-," she began to argue, but was stopped by a glare from Rocky. _What is he doing?_

Ryder raised an eyebrow. "You're both getting punished. I can't have my pups arguing senselessly. But what has me worried is why you two were fighting. No wait! Let me answer, it was about Marshall wasn't it?" He looked at both pups who nodded slowly.

"It was about Marshall, Ryder," Everest whimpered.

Ryder sighed. "Let me guess. Someone is pointing fingers and blaming him for hurting Chase?"

"Yes," Everest and Rocky said in unison.

"Well, I don't think Marshall did it. He might be trained in the art of Pup-Fu, but if I remember correctly from what I've heard. One does not use his skills to hurt others out of spite and/or anger." He looked at Rocky. "Am I right?"

Rocky nodded his head forcibly, like he didn't want to answer the question that he knew was going to be used against his argument. "It is. Sensei Yumi taught us that on day one and it has been in our training ever since."

"That's what I thought and Sensei Yumi trusts Marshall the most to entrust him with the scroll. You know why? Because she knows Marshall is her best student."

"But Ryder, it just doesn't make any sense. No one has claimed responsibility and we haven't seen any strays in the area for weeks. That's the only reason I blame Marshall is because we don't have any evidence of any else doing it," explained Rocky.

"And that's where you're wrong as well, Rocky," Everest stepped in. "You don't have any evidence of Marshall doing it either."

"Now hol-," Rocky started.

"Can it, Rocky," said Ryder. "What do you suggest, Everest?"

 _Guess I'm siding with Marshall now_. "Well first off, was it a human or a pup?"

"Katie told me that she found claws marks and bite marks, so I'm gonna guess it was a pup." Ryder looked confused. "Why?"

"Well since Chase is a cop and his job is to put bad guys behind bars, surely he must have mad some enemies over his career, especially pups." Everest felt confident that this was gonna save Marshall's tail.

"Go on," Ryder said.

"I'm suggesting we look up all the pups that have a beef with Chase. Don't they keep like a database on things like that?"

"Yeah like we haven't thought of that," mocked Rocky.

"Have you?" challenged Everest.

Rocky screwed his mouth shut, choosing not to argue.

"That's what I thought," she scoffed.

Ryder glanced at Rocky. "If you have nothing to contribute, then you can leave. We'll discuss the terms of your punishment later."

Rocky suppressed a snarl at Everest as he walked past her, bumping her shoulder as he did.

Ryder shook his head as the pup left. "What am I going to do with him?"

Everest looked at Ryder. "He's scared. Just like the rest of us. I think you need to forgive him for his actions. He just wants answers."

Ryder sighed loudly. "I guess you're right," he said, petting Everest on the head. "You're a good pup, Everest." He kneeled down and hugged her.

"Thanks, Ryder." Everest said, loathing the hug. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, Everest."

"If Chase is too injured to come back to the team, will we have to replace him?"

"Why would you say something like that? Of course he is gonna come back to us."

"Because I'm worried for Marshall. Without Chase, he would be ruined. I can't stand to see Marshall in a devastated state."

"Well in that case, I-," Ryder said, but his pup pad went off.

 _*Ring* *Ring*_

"Excuse me, for a second, Everest," Ryder said, pulling out his pup pad. "Hello, Ryder here."

"Ryder, it's Katie," said Katie.

"Hey, Katie. What's up?"

"Umm, well I don't know how to say this, but-," she began, but Marshall interrupted her from off screen.

"No! Let me tell them. He's my brother. I need to be the one to tell them," Marshall demanded

Katie aimed the screen at Marshall, who was sitting at the end of Chase's gurney, but stayed quiet.

"Marshall," whispered Ryder. "What's wrong?"

"It's Chase, Ryder," began Marshall. "I'm afraid that….Chase will never be able to walk again."

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 **A/N: I'm glad I am able to update this story as much as I can. It's all thanks to you guys. Remember that constructive criticism is always welcome.**

 **Remember to Favorite/Follow and I'll see you all in the next one.**

 **AtlasWolfActual out!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: You're all probably having a love/hate relationship with Marshall and Everest. From what I can tell by the reviews, it's an extremely good thing. I've been told by a well known reviewer, PBJNachos, that this is one of the best MxE stories he/she has ever read. I know that I haven't reached that point of actually DOING the MxE pairing, but not to worry gents, it will be coming.**

 **Not Obama: I appreciated the review. And I agreed with it every bit. I got lazy with that chapter, not afraid to mention that. I don't intend to change it now, mainly because it's gotten a lot of positive feedback. Your reviews are always welcomed. Thanks friend!**

 **Let me make you all a deal. When this story breaks EITHER 20 favorites, 20 follows, 100 reviews, or 6000 views, I'll go back and fix Chapter 9. Seem fair?**

 **I'm loving how many reviews I am getting with this story. Eighty reviews in just nine chapters. Holy cow! That's incredible! About ninety-five percent of them have been positive, which is fantastic.**

 **Finally, I'm gonna shut the heck up and let you great people get right into it. Keep up the support and I'll bust out a chapter more often. Cheers you guys. Let's do this thing.**

 **!Welcome to Chapter 10 of Hearts of Ice and Fire**!

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The entire team had rendezvoused at Katie's as soon as Ryder broke the bad news to them. The mood throughout the recovery room was mixed with both upset and angry emotions. Chase was sprawled out on his side, his lifeless legs not moving a muscle. His breathing sounded hoarse and almost painful.

Skye and Rubble had both held each other and cried over their hurt friend. Chase was the big brother of the group. Seeing him injured and helpless on the bed was heartbreaking. Skye cared for Chase like a family member. He cared for her when she was a stray and kept all the other males off her.

Zuma was in a shocked state. Too frozen to move or even express any emotion or feeling. Growing up without any siblings, Zuma looked up to Chase for advice. Chase was the reason Zuma was on the team. He had rescued the chocolate lab after he had gotten trapped in a sea cave.

Rocky glared at the bed and at the injured shepherd on it. He silently was cursing Chase and Marshall out, especially the Dalmatian. Even though he received another week long suspension from Ryder, he still hated Marshall.

Katie had to hold Ryder to keep him from falling to the ground. Seeing his first pup broken and unconscious on the bed was bringing Ryder to an emotional downfall. He kept on begging for forgiveness and wishing that these traumatic events had never happened.

Everest was sitting in a chair, just staring at Chase. She had cried most of the way to Katie's shop and let the rest of the water works come out. Seeing Chase in three separate casts truly showed her the devastation that Marshall had caused. But the odd thing was that she wanted to help him with his plan, so that he didn't have to receive a punishment. _He's suffered enough! Anything else and he might be lost forever._

Marshall wasn't even in the room when the team arrived. Katie said that he just started crying and rushed out of the room. His rig wasn't parked outside, according to the arriving team members. Katie said that she had never seen a pup more upset or emotional in her life.

"When is he expected to wake up?" Ryder asked quietly, as he stroked Chase's back fur.

"Hopefully within the next day," answered Katie in the same tone. "But I can't let you take him home until I run some further tests to see how badly his paralysis is."

A few of the pups looked like their hearts had dropped. Their eyes were filled with concern and worry. Ryder did his best to not to succumb to it. The word _paralysis_ left a gross taste in his mouth.

"How long should that take?" the boy asked, not taking his eyes off Chase like he was guarding him.

"About a day and then I have to keep him for an additional day after that just to be safe," she replied, moving her fingers across one of Chase's police blue casts. "This poor pup doesn't need to be in a hospital room any longer. The best place for him to be will be home."

"Thank you, Katie," Ryder said, shaking his head. "I need to contact his parents. They need to know of their child's injuries."

Katie reached across the bed and touched Ryder's shoulder. "You should let Marshall help you with that. It'll get them here quicker. The best medicine is family."

"I know, but what am I supposed to say to them Katie?"

"I know what to tell them," Rocky growled.

Ryder turned on Rocky. "I swear if I hear you blame Marshall for this incident, you're off the team. Do you hear me?" He crouched in front of the pup. "I realize I can't change your mind. But blaming others without reason is not tolerable. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal, Ryder. I'm sorry," Rocky responded, rejecting a hug from him. "I have some things to do at the Lookout. I'll just get out of your hair." He started to walk out.

"Rocky, wait," Ryder called, but it was no use. He was already gone.

"Let him go," Skye said. "All he'll do if he stays is blame Marshall."

"Yeah," Zuma said. "The dude is obsessed with putting the blame on him. It's widiculous."

Rubble didn't say anything. He just whined and sunk down onto the floor with his hind legs sticking out behind him. The family that had taken him off the streets was falling apart around him.

Ryder bent down and petted his neck. "It's okay, Rubble. Everything is going to be okay."

"Is everything going to be okay, Ryder," Everest challenged.

"Yes, it is. I won't allow anything else," Ryder responded.

"Really, because I don't see what you're seeing. You want to know what I see? I see an injured team member, who will not walk again. Two team members going at each others throats. And the rest of us are just okay? Nothing is going back to what it was before." She hopped off the chair and walked past him and stood in the doorway.

"Where are you going?" Ryder asked seriously.

"I'm going to find Marshall. He's scared, alone and in dire need of a friend. And since none of you are looking to help him, I'll do it myself," she growled as she walked out. "Wait, Everest," she heard as she left, but she chose to ignore it. _I want nothing to do with them. Right now, I need to find Marshall._

Everest hopped into her snowmobile. Despite to popular belief, her rig actually drove fairly smoothly over the summer concrete. In fact, it was just as smooth as the street treads on some of the other rigs or Chase's rig with the All-Terrain tires. Love my rig!

She knew where Marshall would go to get away from the world. It was an overlook clearing up in the mountains; one of Marshall's favorite places in the world. Everest knew that he was going to be up there. "He hasn't changed spots since I joined and he won't start now," she said proudly.

The transition from city to forest was very gradual and soft. A few houses nestled a few miles outside the city limits, where the term, rugged, came into play. If Everest was anything, she was a rugged pup who loved the amenities of modern society; the modern rustic style pup.

From the moment the trees officially took over and no houses were in sight, Everest guessed it was going to take her about ten minutes to get to the clearing. The road she was going to have to take was an old logging road, which was now a popular ATV and motorcycle trail.

She found the trail and took advantage of no speed limit signs to put the pedal to the metal. Cruising at a high speed, she left behind her a thick dust cloud that covered the entire width of the trail. She hadn't seen any trucks or trailers at the trailhead, so she assumed she was the only one out there. "Gotta be a little more careful," she said, cutting her speed down to something more reasonable.

Just like she had predicted, it took her about ten minutes to get to the clearing. Marshall's firetruck was the first thing that came into view. It was like seeing a black rabbit in a sea of white mice. _Couldn't have hid yourself a little better, Marshall?_

Parking her tracked machine next to his, she disembarked and looked around for her spotted admirer. "Marshall!" she called loudly, hearing her voice bounce off the trees and echoing throughout the clearing.

No response!

Feeling slightly worried, she ran to where he would normally be sitting, laying, or standing. She sighed with relief when she broke the crest of the hill to see him sitting there. "Oh thank the lord," she breathed. "Marshall!"

Marshall turned to look at her. "Leave me alone!" he said, as he began to run into the trees.

Everest instinctively took pursuit of him. "Marshall….wait," Everest panted. _Oh, I need to get in better shape._ "I need to talk to you."

Marshall ignored her and kept on running. He jumped over logs, flew past bushed, and snaked through the thick pine trees. The pup was incredible and cunning when it came to running and getting past obstacles, despite being very clumsy.

As Everest slowly started to gain on him, it became more of a challenge to keep a stable pace. The muscles in her legs and body weren't used to this amount of cardio. _I'm losing him!_ She thought, as her vision became blurry and the sound of her heartbeat could be heard.

Suddenly, Everest tripped and felt a sharp pain in her leg. She screamed out in pain and clutched her leg. The crimson red blood slowly started to drip from in-between her toes. The husky tried to move and prop herself against a nearby tree, but something was keeping her from moving.

Staring at her injured leg, she saw what was causing her the pain and the resistance to move. "Oh my god," she gasped. "I'm in a hunter's trap." Panicking, she started to flail out, hoping the trap would come loose and let her go. It didn't.

She looked at the noose that was sinking into her leg, making her lower leg go numb. "MARSHALL! HEEEELLLP!" she called out, in desperation. _Where are you?_ She looked back at the trap and slowly lifted her leg. Just as she expected, the trap was hidden underneath a pile of leaves.

As slow as she could, she scooted towards the trap to give her some slack to be able to sit up. She sat up slowly, she could finally see the damage the trap had caused. It had shredded it's way into her leg, causing some muscle damage and a lot of bleeding. "Oh, that looks pretty bad."

Everest took the slack in her paws and pulled on it gently, exposing the trap fully. About five feet away, stuck in the ground, was a metal stake. _I'm not getting that out by myself_. "I'm gonna have to try and loosen the trap carefully. I can't claw or scratch through metal wire."

She found a stick and put it in her mouth for the pain she was about to induce on herself. "Okay….here it goes," she said through a muffled mouth. She extended her claw and dug into her leg, feeling an instant and excruciating pain. She bit down hard on the stick causing it to crack.

After working the metal wire around for a bit, she felt it come slightly loose. So she added another claw and repeated the process. Claw, pain, loosen, repeat. After adding in a fourth claw, she managed to free her leg from the trap. Her teeth had embedded into the stick from all the pain she had just gone through.

Her leg was torn up and the likelihood of her walking out of there without help was irrelevant. The ground around her leg felt squishy. She felt it and put her paw in front of her nose. Everest screwed her nose at the smell of blood. Her head started to feel dizzy and she felt sick to her stomach. _Where is Marshall?_

She looked around for the dally, not seeing him in her field of view. "To think I only want to help him and he returns the favor by abandoning me in the forest with a hurt leg."

"I didn't abandon you," said a familiar voice behind her.

"Where were you? I got stuck in a trap and called for your help. I thought you had abandoned me," she snapped aggressively.

"I went to go get the medical kit out of my rig," he said, finally coming into her view.

Everest scoffed. "Took you long enough," she grunted, wincing when she moved her leg.

"Don't try and move your leg," Marshal said, finally examining it. "Any deeper and that trap would have severed your Achilles tendon, but you're lucky. You'll walk again, soon."

Everest winced as Marshall began to clean her wounds with a bottle of water. "Whew…that is brisk," Everest shivered. "How do you make something that cold?"

Marshall giggled. "It's room temperature. Your body just isn't used to it." He began to wrap her leg with medical gauze.

"Hey! Watch it!"

Marshall snapped his gaze at her. "Do you want me to save you or not?"

Everest sighed, laid her head back, and nodded.

Marshall smirked at her sudden cooperation. "Hey, what's your favorite color?"

"It's ice blue, why do you a-," she started as Marshall suddenly tightened the gauze around her leg. She hissed in pain and her muscles tightened. "What was that for?" she asked through painfully gritted teeth.

"I had to cut off circulation to your wound, so the bleeding would stop. If I hadn't, you'd of either passed out or died on the way back," Marshall explained, putting a piece of medical tape on her leg to keep the wrap from coming loose.

"Can I at least stand up?" she asked enthusiastically. I hate the woods! I hate them. I hate them. I hate them.

Marshall nodded and got behind her. "Take it slowly. I'll steady you."

"Okay," Everest nodded as she started to rise to her feet.

"Easy now," warned Marshall. "Don't rush yourself."

Everest put her two front paws down and stood up slowly on her hind legs. She took into consideration of her injured leg and put as much pressure on the opposite foot. Come on, Everest. Fight the pain.

"You doing okay?" Marshall asked.

Everest finally stood up and balanced herself. "Yeah, I'm good. Let's get outta here."

Marshall supported her on his right shoulder. "Sounds like a plan," he said, as they started to walk slowly.

"Can I ask you something?"

"We got about an hour of walking, so I don't see why not," he replied.

"Why did you come back for me?" Everest saw the question eat at his mind almost instantly. Too soon, she thought before he glanced over at her, looking confident.

"Because you're the only one I trust."

* * *

 **A/N: I enjoyed writing this chapter. I know I say that a lot, but I genuinely enjoyed this one. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it. Remember that I enjoy the constructive criticism and well, normal reviews as well. Those are cool too.**

 **Remember to favorite/follow and I'll see you in the next one.**

 **AtlasWolfActual Out!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Through all the hardships. Through all the backlash. Through all the fighting. I'm proud to say that I am a full on MarshallxEverest supporter. I didn't come to this conclusion immediately as I posted this story. Sure it doesn't technically have an MxE pairing in it yet, it doesn't mean there won't be one. If you know me, I don't really like to rush things in a story. I like to express each event and action with a lot of detail. Granted, the last chapter had quite a few useless details, and there isn't any shame in saying that. I take responsibility for that.**

 **Another thing, I started to recognize some irregularities in the amount of views the story is getting. I don't know if that's lack of interest, skipping chapters, reading only the updates, or something else. It's not a big issue, but I just thought I'd acknowledge it. Make sure if you're going to read the story, be sure to start from the beginning, so you don't get confused.**

 **Now this hasn't been an issue up until recently. But to the select few that can't seem to get the message, I'll be as crystal clear as I can. WHEN I UPDATE A CHAPTER, DON'T PM ME FIVE MINUTES LATER SAYING YOU WANT TO READ THE NEXT CHAPTER. I DON'T IMMEDIATLEY GET INTO WRITING THE NEXT CHAPTER. I GENERALLY WAIT A FEW HOURS AND A CHAPTER WILL USUALLY TAKE ABOUT FIVE HOURS TO WRITE. SO FOR THE LOVE OF GOD AND JESUS HIMSELF, PLEASE BE PATIENT.**

 **Well now that I finished giving you this glorious intro, which I'm guessing you guys ignored anyway, I'm gong to shut up and start writing. Thanks for the support. I love you all. You've taken this story places, I couldn't imagine. Thank you all and let's do this.**

 **!Welcome to Chapter 11 of Hearts of Ice and Fire!**

* * *

Marshall and Everest had made it back to their rigs. Despite having to stop and let Everest rest a few times, it took them about an hour to get there. Marshall had redressed her leg as soon as they got back. The bleeding had slowed down substantially, but Marshall was worried about infection. He didn't want to let her into the loop at the excessive tissue damage and how it was going to be tough for her for a few days.

Everest laid down by her rig. Her tongue drooped out as she started panting. "Oh, my leg is throbbing. Is that normal?"

Marshall sighed with relief. "It's your body working to fight against infection. So yeah, it's normal."

Everest grunted. "Uhhh…every few throbs it sends a sting of pain. I hate this," she complained.

"Shouldn't have gotten stuck in a hunter's trap," Marshall snickered.

"I wouldn't be in this mess if you hadn't ran," she retorted, lifting her head up and glaring at him.

"Nobody asked you to come out here," replied Marshall calmly.

"I was the only one who would. Every one else was too emotional or too angry to even think about you," Everest said. "I want to help you, Marshall."

"What do you mean, help me?" asked Marshall. "Look at me, Everest. What's their to help?"

"Your conscious," answered Everest. "It's blurred and filled with sadness and hate and regret."

Marshall shook his head. "After seeing the results of the x-ray, I don't think my conscious will ever be clear. My brother will never walk again. He won't play again. Life for him just got ten times harder because of my actions."

Everest didn't try and argue with him. "Can I ask why you ran in the first place?"

Marshall dipped his head. "I thought you were delivering more bad news. I was scared that they found something else wrong with him." He let out a little whine. "I can't hear anymore bad news today."

Everest did her best to sit up, gingerly keeping her weight off her injured leg. "Katie did say that he should be awake within the next day. She also said that he'll get to go home a day after that. Chase might be broken in the legs, but he's going to be home. It's way better than a hospital bed."

"What difference does it make? His legs are still lifeless and broken."

"Ryder also brought up talking to Chase's parents," Everest whispered. If this doesn't get him on his feet, I don't think anything will. "And Katie suggested letting in the loop. Ryder agreed."

"Chase's parents! Why didn't you say that in the first place?" He hopped in his rig. "They know I wouldn't try and do something like this to him. I might have a chance to get away with my actions."

"Wait! You're going to use Chase's parents as leverage for your own personal gains?" _Good on you, pup._

"More or less," shrugged Marshall.

"Well, in that case, count me in," said Everest.

Marshall looked at her skeptically. "You're joking? Why would you try and support me? I'm like the Hillary Clinton of bad influences."

Everest stood up, keeping caution of her leg. "Because I think seeing Chase as injured as he is was enough of a punishment for you. You almost lost him three times and if we lost him, we'd have lost you as well."

Marshall nodded slowly. "I see. Well I'm glad to be getting support from someone rather than no one."

"That's the spirit," Everest smirked. She looked at her rig. "Now can you help me into my rig? I can't exactly jump."

Marshall ducked his head in embarrassment. "I completely forgot about your injury. I'm sorry," he said.

Everest growled in disappointment. "How could you forget?" she said as he hopped out of his rig. "I was calling for help, was complaining the whole way back, and just to ask because why not, what's your favorite color?"

"Isn't it obvious, it's re-," he said, as Everest took a cheap shot at his gut. "Red," he groaned as he hit the ground.

Everest giggled evilly and leaned down to his level. "Consider us even," she smiled.

"Clever girl," Marshall groaned, getting up slowly.

"Jurassic Park, 1993. Great movie," Everest said, helping Marshall up. "And by the way, I can get in my rig without your help."

Marshall put a paw on his gut as he looked at her. "What do you mean you can get into your rig without….help?"

Everest propelled off the ground using her one good hind leg, getting up into her rig with ease. She looked back at him. "Need help getting into your rig?" she mocked.

"Not cool," moaned Marshall. "Totally not cool."

"Oh, stop your whining and get in your rig," Everest ordered, as she started hers up.

Marshall did just that and hopped in his rig awkwardly, landing on his side. "I'm okay," he chuckled. "Let's go," he said, putting himself up right.

Everest smiled. That's the Marshall I used to know. "Race you back to Katie's?"

"You're so on," agreed Marshall, getting into a competitive driving position.

Everest readied herself too. "On your mark….get set….go!" she said, as they set off back to Adventure Bay.

* * *

Marshall had been in the lead for most of the race. The dally may have been upset, but he drove like a professional. But that was beginning to become an issue for him when Everest started gaining. The female Husky had straggled most of the race. Her leg throbbed and occasionally cramped up in pain, causing her to fall further behind.

The final straight was just ahead of them. Marshall could see Katie's shop directly ahead of him, but there was a problem. Everest was directly behind him and was closing the gap exceptionally fast.

"You're not gonna win his, Marshall," Everest shouted, as she pulled up along side Marshall.

"Not on my watch," Marshall howled, but a thought came to his mind and he slowed down.

Everest was still in competitive mode and didn't notice him slow down. She hit the accelerator and finished the race, pulling up to Katie's shop. She noticed only Ryder's ATV parked up front. "Must have sent them back to the lookout," she guessed.

Marshall pulled up alongside her. His facial expression everything but good.

Everest noticed his upset state. "What's wrong, Marshall?"

"I just thought about Chase. What if he remembers the accident? Then what am I supposed to do?" he said sadly, a tear forming in his eye.

Everest placed a reassuring paw on his shoulder. "I don't like using the incident as facts, but you did hit his head hard on the concrete. He might not remember anything." She winced when she planted her injured leg on the ground.

Marshall immediately jumped to her aid. "We need to get you inside," he said.

Everest nodded as she began to limp into Katie's shop.

Marshall had rushed inside to get Katie and returned with her. "She's hurt real bad."

Katie kneeled down and examined Everest's leg. "Let's get her checked out," she concluded, as she picked the Husky up.

Everest hissed in pain as her leg bumped against Katie's arm. "It hurts," she groaned.

"I know pup," Katie said softly.

Ryder was sitting by Chase's bed as Katie and Marshall barged through the door, with Everest in Katie's arm. He quickly stood up. "What happened?" he asked, seeing Everest's leg wrapped in gauze.

Katie shook her head, as she laid the Husky down gently on the nearby gurney. "I don't know. Marshall just found me and told me she was hurt."

Ryder nodded and walked over to Everest. "You feeling okay?"

Everest did her best to nod. "Like another day in the office," she replied.

Ryder petted her head. "Still got a sense of humor," Ryder chuckled. He turned to Marshall, a more serious look in his eye. "What happened?"

Marshall gulped. "She got stuck in a hunter's trap while trying to….umm."

"Trying to what, Marshall?"

"Trying to catch me," Marshall answered.

"Why would she have to catch you?" Katie asked confusingly.

"Because I thought for a few moments that she was bringing more bad news about Chase. If I knew that wasn't the case, I wouldn't have. I just got scared, I guess," Marshall answered honestly.

"I see," Ryder responded. "And when Everest got stuck in the trap, you helped her right?"

"Of course, Ryder," Marshall mumbled. "Never leave a pup behind."

Ryder nodded with approval. "That's my pup."

"Oh my goodness," exclaimed Katie.

"What's up, Katie?"

"It's Everest's leg. It's cut all the way down to the tendon," she said, pulling away the last bit of blood soaked gauze.

Marshall sighed. "Yeah, I found that out when I was wrapping it up."

"Is it fixable?" Ryder said.

Katie nodded with reassurance. "As long as there isn't any infection, which I am not seeing here, so yeah, she'll be fine."

They all sighed with relief. "Well that's good. How long before she is back up on her feet again?" the brown haired boy asked.

"Probably a few days. By the time Chase is ready to go home, she'll be ready too," answered Katie.

"She has to stay here?!" Marshall said, raising his voice.

Everyone went silent and stared at the dally, even Everest did. She was looking over her shoulder and had a little smile on her face.

Marshall blushed and cleared his throat. "H-how's Chase?"

"He's perfectly fine," Katie answered quietly. "He occasionally let's a few yips or his front paws will shake. The pups been dreaming a lot recently."

"That's good," Marshall breathed.

"But," Ryder chipped in. "With his head injury, he probably won't remember the incident."

Marshall and Everest both stared at each other knowingly. "That's what I was afraid of," Marshall said. "We could have worked to find out who did this."

"I know, Marshall," Ryder said. "But right now, I'm more worried about getting Chase home than finding the pup who did this."

Marshall nodded. "I understand." He looked at Katie. "Do you need any help here?"

The blonde girl looked around, seeing nothing that needed to be done. "Nope, you're good. I'll keep in touch with Ryder about Chase's condition and let him know if anything new arises, okay?"

Marshall nodded his head and looked at Everest. "You feeling better, Everest?"

Everest huffed. "I'll be fine. The worst of it's over," she said, lying her head down.

Katie looked at Ryder and Marshall. "I'm going to be doing a little procedure on her leg, so I will ask you both to leave if that's okay."

"That's fair. Marshall and I have a two German Shepherd parents to call," Ryder replied.

Katie nodded. "Best of luck to you. Word of advice. Give it to them slowly," she suggested.

"Duly noted." Marshall and Ryder both nodded. "In that case, we'll leave you to it and get out of your hair. Keep us posted on both pups," Ryder said, as he led Marshall out. The sound of their rigs starting a few moments later and disappearing.

"Okay, Everest. I have to put you to sleep to do my job, okay?"

Everest gulped in fear. Katie noticed, and planted a paw on Everest's side.

"You don't have to be scared. I won't let anything happen to you."

Everest seemed to calm down. "Okay…I'm ready," she sniffed.

Katie grabbed a syringe filled with a clear liquid or serum. "You should only feel pinch," Katie said, as she injected the liquid into Everest's shoulder.

Only a pinch she said! Don't have to be scared she said! Everest felt Katie pull the needle out and set it down.

"You doing okay, Everest?"

Everest did her best to nod, but the serum was making her feel drowsy. As the seconds ticked by, the drowsiness was overwhelming. Everest laid her head down and let the serum take her into a deep sleep. And with one last deep breath, she was out cold.

* * *

 **Sorry about the long wait. I've been fighting a nasty cold and I've been too sick to even type anything up. I appreciate the patience. All your reviews from the last chapter are duly noted and I'll keep the suggestions in mind. Constructive Criticism is always welcome. Telling me where I need to improve is a good sign. I always like to see where I can improve. By the way, expect more chapters with characters that I rarely use like Rubble, Zuma, Skye, and Rocky.**

 **Thanks for sticking with me! YOU GUYS ARE ALL AWESOME!**

 **Remember to favorite/follow and I'll see you in the next one**

 **AtlasWolfActual out**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Apparently I'm using the wrong characters to play the bad guys. I'm sorry! Have I offended the television show for using characters the way I'd like to? Last I checked, this was Fanfiction. Meaning I can use characters how I would like to use them. I'm sorry that I'm using the always innocent pup, Marshall, to portray a bad guy. Well guess what? If you don't like how I am using him, then you are more than welcome to stop reading my story. It doesn't and will not change anything. And if I'm using them wrong, then what about other authors who do gay pairings? That's not how the pups behave, so why am I receiving this criticism and not others?**

 **You want to know why the characterization is off? Ask yourself this, what do you think the emotions of the characters are right now? Chase has just been injured and everyone is scared. Not every story is a happy story. You want one of those types of stories, then go find one elsewhere. You won't find it with this story. But I will say this. I've never been good at characterization, and I don't intend to be. How I intend to use the characters, their actions, behavior, and bodies is up to me.**

 **I started writing for this fandom to bring my own creativity and try something new. I mean, have you seen the stories on my page. One is a PAW Patrol War story, another is an earthquake most-of-the-team-dies romance, and then there is this story. A Marshall-gets-to-be-the-bad-guy story. That is my uniqueness to the fandom. If you don't like it, no offense, but the door is unlocked and opened for you to walk out of.**

 **Now that I got the news out of the way, I'm going to start writing. As always, I love the support the story gets. Despite a recent bad apple or two, which didn't even scratch the surface as hurtful at all, this story is successful. I'll shut up and let you read. Let's do this!**

 **Enjoy!...or at least try to!**

 **Welcome to Chapter 12 of Hearts of Ice and Fire**

* * *

Marshall and Ryder walked into the Lookout with their heads down. The task ahead was going to prove a great challenge to them. Neither one wanted to do it, but they knew that it was the right thing to do. Chase's parents deserved to know of their child's injuries.

They were greeted by Skye and Rubble, who were chatting by the elevator.

"Ryder, what's wrong?" Skye asked with a look of worry in her eyes.

He shook his head. "Nothing pup. Marshall and I just have a hefty task to pull off."

"What task?" Rubble asked, his interests being sparked.

"We're calling Chase's parents," answered Marshall, staring at the young bulldog.

"Ooh, can we help?" Rubble asked, casting a hopeful glance at Ryder.

Marshall looked at Ryder. _Please don't say yes_. He was relieved to see Ryder shake his head. _Oh, thank god._

"Sorry pups, but this is something that we have to do alone," Ryder said sadly.

Rubble whimpered in defeat. "Okay," he sighed.

"Why not, Ryder?" Skye argued. "Chase is our family too. We all deserve to inform his family."

At this moment, Zuma walked in and overheard what Skye just said. The chocolate lab seemed confused and interested all at the same time.

"What's this about Chase's family?" he asked curiously.

"Nothing," Skye and Ryder both snapped at him.

Zuma ducked his head. "Hey, what gives? I was only asking a question, dudes. You don't need to bite my head off."

"Sorry, Zuma," said Ryder. "We were talking about calling Chase's family and why only Marshall and I should call them."

"It's not fair," complained Skye.

"What do you mean it's not faiw? It's totally faiw," said Zuma seriously.

"Now that's where your wrong? Wait….what," Ryder said. "You agree with me?"

Zuma nodded slowly, as if Ryder was acting crazy. "Yeah, I do. It makes sense fow Wydew and Mawshall to be the only ones to contact Chase's pawents."

"How Zuma?" said Rubble. "Because I'm confused as heck over here." A sound of stomach rumbling could be heard loudly amongst them. "You see? Confusion can sure make a pup hungry."

Everyone giggled a little bit, but immediately went back to serious. "How is it fair, Zuma? Rubble asked

"Too many people ow pups is going to be too ovewwhelming fow them. Besides, you only need Wydew and Mawshall."

"But why just them? What makes them any different?" Skye demanded, stomping her paw on the floor.

Zuma advanced on her and stopped just within grabbing distance. "One, Wydew is ouw leadew, so it's his job to do so. Two, Mawshall gwew up with Chase, so his pawents know him the best. In fact, Chase's pawents have nevew met us befowe."

She knew Zuma was right. "You're right, they haven't. But this is a team effort, Zuma. Don't you get that?"

Zuma ignored her. "Let me ask you something Skye. If you wewe the one injuwed, would you let a complete stwanger infowm youw family of the bad news?"

Skye opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. All she could do was shake her head.

"I figuwed as much," Zuma said

Marshall stepped in. "And when they get here, which I know they will, you will get the chance to meet them. But it's just going to be me and Ryder on this one."

Ryder crouched down and planted a hand on Skye and Zuma's shoulders. "We're doing this with good intentions, you guys. We'll let you know how it goes."

"You promise?" mumbled Rubble.

Ryder nodded without hesitation. "I promise, pup. You have my word." He looks at Marshall intently. "We better go."

Marshall nods and walks to the elevator without a word.

Ryder watches him go and sighs. "If you pups want to know how it goes, stay in the Lookout." With that he stood up and walked into he elevator, where Marshall waited for him, and they rode the elevator to the top.

At the top, Ryder walked out while Marshall seemed to be stuck in concrete. The boy turned back, "Everything okay, pup?"

Marshall had his head drooped. "I don't think I can do this, Ryder."

Ryder kneeled down in front of Marshall. 'Why not, Marshall?"

"I'm n-nervous to speak to them. Its been far too long since I last spoke with them and now we're calling them because of Chase's injuries."

"Marshall, Marshall, Marshall," Ryder whispered as he took the dally into his arms. "It's okay to be nervous. I'm nervous about speaking to them too."

Marshall sniffed. "You are?"

"Mhm," Ryder hummed. "But I'm still going to do this because it's my job. When I took some of you pups in, I swore to your parents that I would always look out for you. I failed on this one though."

"You didn't fail, Ryder," reassured Marshall. "You did your job. We got Chase to Katie's in time and now he's coming home in a couple days. There's nothing you could have done to prevented this incident." I want to tell him! It's the right thing to do! "He's alive that's all that matters."

Ryder nodded. "I guess you're right. Thanks Marshall." He looked behind him and then back at Marshall. "Ready to make the call."

Marshall smiled. "I'm fired up," he said proudly.

"That's my Marshall," Ryder smiled. He pulled out his pup pad and brought the screen down. He found Chase's parents phone number and paused before calling it and looked at Marshall. "You ready for this?"

Marshall gulped, but nodded confidently. "I'm ready. Make the call."

Ryder nodded and pushed the button.

Marshall shook in his place. _I hope they pick up, but I don't want them to at the same time._ "This is nerve racking," he mumbled.

 _RING!_

"Maybe they're busy?"

Ryder shook his head. "Not likely. Chase's parents are retired."

 _RING!_

"How are they retired? I thought they'd still be police K-9's."

Ryder shook his head. "Nope, they retired last year after many years on the force. They have a new fam-."

 _RING!_

"A new family member to take care of."

"Like a baby?"

Ryder nodded and raised his eyebrows.

 _RING!_

"Chase has a new sibling? Way cool," Marshall exclaimed. "What's it's name?"

"Don't know. I just know they had one recently."

"Does Chase know?"

 _RING!_

Ryder shook his head.

"Why aren't they answering?" Marshall said with worry. _Now I want them to answer!_

Ryder shrugged in response. "Could be out of the house?"

 _RI-!_

"Or not," replied Marshall.

The tone stopped and a face appeared on the screen. It was a German Shepherd. Female by the looks of it. Bright green eyes and shiny fur. It was Athena, Chase's mother. "Oh my goodness, Ryder," she exclaimed. Her voice sounded young and lively. "What can I do for you? Is Chase being good?"

"Chase is doing good. He's been doing as he is told and is one of the best pups I've ever had the pleasure of knowing," Ryder responded cheerfully.

"That's good," she said, finally noticing Marshall. "Is that my other son, Marshall? Oh my goodness, you've gotten so big."

Marshall blushed. "Thanks, mom," he said shyly, but his blush was replaced with a look of sadness.

"Marshall, what's wrong?" She looked at Ryder. "Is everything okay? Tell me the truth! Where's Chase? Where's my baby?"

Ryder held out his hands to calm her. "Calm down, Athena. Is Tracer there? He needs to hear this news."

Athena looked around frantically for her mate. "Tracer! Ryder's on the phone. Something's happened."

Marshall could hear a response in the background and sooner than he thought, Tracer was sharing the screen with his mate.

The muscular Shepherd looked like he had been working out. A towel was wrapped around his neck and he was panting.

"Ryder! What's the issue, son?" he asked calmly, but seriously.

"Sorry to disturb your workout, Tracer, but something has happened recently. It involves Chase," Ryder said, with his arms behind his back. He was rocking back and forth slowly.

"What happened, Ryder? Tell us, please," begged Athena.

"Chase has been…," Ryder said, a tear forming in his eye.

Marshall touched Ryder's leg. "I got this."

"Marshall? What happened to him?"

The Dalmatian gulped loudly and sighed. "Chase was attacked and severely injured by someone." He could see the sudden shock in both parents eyes. Athena was the first one to freak out.

"How?!" Athena gasped. "W-Why?"

Marshall shook his head. "We don't know." _Because of my stupid jealousy!_

"What are his injuries?" demanded Tracer.

"Tracer," Ryder said. "I don't think I should share his injuries wi-," he began

"SPARE ME RYDER! Someone hurt my boy, so I deserve to know what his injuries are," spat Tracer. Athena buried her face in his shoulder, which calmed him down.

Ryder sniffed and wiped his eyes. "H-he has a couple broken ribs…"

 _Five broken ribs, caused by me_ , Marshall thought.

"…Both of his hind legs are broken…"

 _I can't believe I used the pup house door to do that. I went savage_

"…despite some tenderness in his belly and chest and a broken paw, there is one more injury."

Tracer's face and Athena's face showed the same thing; complete shock. Hearing those kinds of injuries brought their hearts to a near stop. "What's the last injury, Ryder?"

Ryder glanced at Marshall, who drooped his head in sadness. "We received the news of the last injury this morning….umm….during the attack, a vertebrae in Chase's back was broken."

"Are you saying…No," Athena breathed.

"My son isn't going to…"

Ryder nodded slowly. "He's never going to walk again."

The sound of a baby crying could be heard in the background, which caused Athena to look up. "Excuse me, Brooke is crying," she croaked as she disappeared from view.

 _What have I done?_ Marshall whimpered. _What kind of monster have I become?_

Tracer drooped his head. "I'm guessing you want us to come see Chase then? That's why you called?"

"Yes," Ryder said. "He hasn't woken up yet and I'm worried that with the permanent injury, there is going to be a lot of stress from Chase." He cleared his throat. "So I ask that you, Athena, and Brooke all come up to see him. It'll take away as much stress as possible."

Tracer nodded. "Good idea. Besides, he hasn't even met Brooke, let alone known she was born. It'll be good for them to finally meet." He sighed loudly. "Alright, well, I'll talk with my wife and we'll try and get there as soon as possible."

"The lookout has plenty of space for you to stay. The closer you are to Chase, the better," Ryder said.

"Chase is expected to be awake and home within the next two days," Marshall said. "The sooner the better, if you ask me."

"I'll keep it in mind, my boy," Tracer said. "Well, keep us updated on Chase and you'll probably see us there within the next day or so."

"Will do, sir," Ryder said.

"Take care, you guys," Tracer mumbled before cutting the connection.

Marshall imagined Tracer collapsing to the ground and crying his eyes out. Chase was his first child and his only son. The bond that they shared was strong and hearing that one of them was injured was incredibly stressful.

Ryder patted Marshall on the head. "You did good, Marshall. They'll be here and everything will be okay."

Marshall sighed. "I hope so, Ryder," he said sadly.

"Now, if the other's are still downstairs, they'll want to know what went on," Ryder said, leading his fire pup to the elevator and going down.

The others were there as expected and Rocky had joined them. They jumped up to see Ryder and Marshall come out of the elevator.

"What happened?" Skye asked.

"What did they say?" asked Rubble.

"Calm down, you guys. I'll say what went on," Ryder said.

"Well, then. How did the call go?" asked Rocky.

"Chase's parents are coming to see him within the next couple of days. Yes, they are very sad, but they are strong. So what I want from you pups is to get this Lookout clean. Both for Chase and Chase's parents."

"You can count on us, Wydew," Zuma said. "We'll get it done."

Ryder felt his pup pad vibrate, soon followed by a ringing sound. He pulled his pup pad out and sighed with relief. "It's Katie." He answered her. "Hey, Katie."

"Hey, Ryder."

"What's up, Katie," asked Marshall. "Is Chase okay?"

"He's totally fine. I just wanted to call and let you know that Everest is going to make a full recovery." She pointing the camera at Everest.

Everest looked tired and only her head was showing. "Hey….., R-Ryder," she struggled to say

"You feeling okay?" Ryder asked

Everest nodded her head. "My leg is n-numb and…*cough*…I feel super-," she pauses to yawn. "Drowsy."

"As long as you're feeling good, that's all that matters," said Skye. "Missing you already girl."

The husky pup snickered and yawned again. "Where's Marshall?"

"I'm right here, Everest."

"T-thank you for g-getting me out of the t-trap," she stammered.

"It's nothing. Couldn't leave you behind," Marshall said, blushing a little. "You should rest. See you soon okay?"

Everest nodded and laid her head down and closed her eyes. Light snores could be heard a few moments later.

"She'll be okay right?" asked Rocky, as soon as Katie turned the camera back on herself.

"Of course, Rocky. Everest's leg injury wasn't anything major. She might even be able to walk out if it heals properly."

"That's good," Rubble responded. "Everest is the best play mate ever."

"And there is more good news," Katie whispered as she moved around a curtain.

"What is it, Katie?"

She only smiled and turned the camera. "Guess who decided to finally wake up?"

Everyone gasped at who it was. The pup they all thought was going to die was staring back at them with tired eyes. A few of them broke into tears of joy. Others were in shock.

The pup staring back was Chase.

* * *

 **A/N: You probably have some mixed feelings about me right now based on the Intro Author Note. So let me clarify for you guys. By the time I started writing this chapter, I was over it. I set it aside and moved on. Now granted my track record for ranting goes back a ways, but I don't let that stop me either. If I offended anyone, scared anyone, or hurt someone's feelings, I want you to genuinely know that I am sorry. NEW QUESTIONS**

 **-Is the addition of Chase's parents good or bad?**

 **-How cute do you think Chase's little sister, Brooke, is?**

 **-If I were to have Marshall come forth with the truth now, would you be mad? (Opinion, not spoiling anything, just curiosity)**

 **-Finally, what are your thoughts on this story so far?**

 **Anyway, I can't thank you guys enough for how far this story has come. Remember that reviews and constructive criticism are always welcomed. Please be specific if you don't like something or think I should have done something else, it really helps me out.**

 **Thanks guys and I'll see you in the next one**

 **AtlasWolfActual Out**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Last chapter I have to admit was one of my favorite episodes. I did so much better with characterization, I involved just about everybody which is fantastic, and it ended it the way I wanted to. The responses from your reviews are duly noted, and I'll keep them in mind when I'm making later chapters.**

 **Now's the part where I'm going to get mad. There is a viewer that I'm not going to call out by name that reads this story. They are the primary reason why I'm not updating because they are constantly, and I mean constantly, demanding to read the next chapter the moment I update. You know who you are and I want you to stop it. None of you patient viewers have done anything, and I'm practically punishing you all by delaying updates. All because of one person.**

 **To the patient viewers, you guys are great. I think of you guys as a family, and I want to treat you like family. You got my respect already. Thank you, now let's get into the story.**

 **Welcome to Chapter 13 of Hearts of Ice and Fire**

* * *

Katie was sitting on the curb right outside her building as the team started to park their rigs. Their loud calls of joy and happiness echoed over the sound of the engines that purred. They dismounted and kept their excitement contained as best as they could. Except for one pup, Marshall, who relaxed his excitement and put it away. Only to snatch up and the overwhelming feeling of regret and fear.

As everyone gathered around Katie, Marshall hung back by his rig. He let his thoughts run rampant and free. _What if he remembers? Then what am I supposed to do?_ He shivered at the thought of something bad happening as the whole scenario laid out in sequence. Chase exposes Marshall to the entire team that he was the culprit. Then Ryder would get angry, and Marshall would lose his job and his life on the team.

"I hope it doesn't come down to that at all," Marshall mumbled. _Please let Chase forgive me,_ he thought as he let his head go limp.

"Hey, Marshall!" called Ryder.

Marshall picked up his head and glanced at the boy. "Yes, Ryder?"

Ryder approached him, while everyone stared back at him. He could feel all their eyes as they burned his body with a nervous tingle. Ryder took a knee in front of the Dalmatian.

"Why are you all the way back here? Katie's telling us about Chase," he explained.

"That's the reason I'm back here," replied Marshall. "I-I am scared, to be honest with you." He felt a hand gently grasp his cheek.

"You don't have to be afraid, pup," Ryder said calmly. "Chase is alive, and he is okay."

"But he isn't Ryder," Marshall said defiantly batting the hand away. "His broken back, and he'll never walk again."

Everyone gasped at Marshall's sudden anger, including Ryder who remained calm. "You're right, Marshall. You're right. But…all that I care about is Chase safe, and he is alive."

Marshall glared at Ryder. "So you don't care about finding the jerk who hurt him." _Like he cares about finding who did it, even though it was me_

Ryder sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Right at the moment, I'm more interested in getting my pup home safe and sound. Maybe after getting him settled in, then we might look into some investigation."

"Okay then," Marshall concluded. "I want Chase home too."

Ryder pulled the Dalmatian into an embrace. "I want him home too. Just a little more time."

As the two hugged, the rest of the team and Katie gathered around and joined in. It felt comforting in Marshall's heart knowing that his emotions are with his teammates too. He even saw Rocky second guess joining in, but eventually did for the greater of the team.

They broke up the hug and gave a big group sigh. Katie stepped forward and glanced at them. "Who wants to see Chase?"

Skye did a signature flip and yipped. "I do! I do!"

Rubble and Zuma were jumping happily. Rocky's tail was ecstatic that even he couldn't get it stop.

Marshall howled in happiness. "I want to see him first! Let me go first! Please!"

Katie giggles but sighed. "That's where there is a problem. With Chase being easily scared. I think that you guys need to go in smaller groups. Perhaps groups of two?"

Marshall's eyes exploded open. "Well, I want to go first. Chase is my brother. I deserve to go first." He tried to push past Ryder, but the boy stopped him in his tracks. "What are you doing?"

"Listen to Katie, Marshall. She's the doctor. So she knows what's best for Chase," Ryder explained. "You'll see Chase, don't worry."

"Fine," Marshall huffed as he took a seat. "Why can't I go first?" he asked, looking at the blonde girl while trying to stay patient. _The quicker I see him, the faster I can get my mind clear._

Katie stood in front of the door into her shop. "The reason behind why I want you guys to go in small groups is so that you guys don't overwhelm him. He has been through a lot, and I want to get him home as soon as possible."

"So separating us nearly eliminates the possibility of Chase having a panic attack," Rocky realized. "Marshall, you of all pups on this team should know this. You are the team's medic," he exasperated.

Marshall glared at Rocky. "What do you care? It seems like your job nowadays is to blame me for hurting Chase. Last I checked, you aren't a criminal investigator. You're a garbage boy."

Rocky growled at Marshall and advanced on him. "I am not a garbage boy!" he growled through gritted teeth. "I am the Recycling and Eco pup of this team. Nothing more, nothing less." He stopped when he was within biting distance of Marshall. "At least I don't hurt my friends."

Marshall stood his ground, doing his best not to show his fear. "I DIDN'T HURT CHASE!" he screamed with such ferocity. _I can't stand all this lying, but I don't want Rocky to win._

Rocky stood still as a rock towards Marshall's explosion of anger. "You don't deserve to see Chase."

Marshall relaxed and stared at the rest of the group. They stood in shock at what just occurred in front of them. He felt their piercing gaze penetrate his body, making him feel hot and uncomfortable. His eyes drifted to Ryder's as he landed on a pair of downcast eyes. Marshall hopped in his rig as he was scared of a future lecture.

"Marshall, where are you going?" Skye asked.

"You can't leave now, dude," said Zuma. "You still haven't seen Chase."

"Chase is going to be sad when he doesn't see you, Marshall," Rubble explained.

Marshall sighed. "I just need a moment to myself. I don't want Chase to see me in an angered state. Besides-," he said, pointed at Rocky. "-he doesn't expect me to see Chase, so it works out perfectly for him."

Ryder looked at both Marshall and Rocky, then at Katie. "Take Skye, Zuma, and Rubble inside. Let them see Chase. I need a moment with these two pups."

Katie nodded and ushered the pups inside. When they were inside being when Ryder opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Rocky.

"What I meant to say to Marshall was-," Rocky blurted out

"Can it, Rocky!" ordered Ryder. "Don't interrupt me."

Rocky ignored him and stood in front of Ryder, looking defiant. "Why do you always defend him? Why can't I ever plead my case to you? It isn't fair, and you know it?" His voice slowly cracked to a depressed croak followed by a few tears.

Ryder kneeled and put a paw on Rocky's back. "I know I'm not fair to you. It isn't right. But with you saying things like, "You don't deserve to see Chase," doesn't help you," he explained.

"How am I supposed to trust someone if they are found with the mutilated body of my friend? I can't just trust Marshall after that," Rocky spat, barring his teeth at Marshall.

"Rocky, whatever quarrel you have with Marshall is like arguing with me and the rest of the team. I didn't make this team so that you guys could fight each other," Ryder responded calmly. "Does that make sense? It pains me to see you pups fight. I can't stand it."

Marshall noticed that Ryder was hitting all the right points. He could hear a stiffled whimper from Rocky and watched a few salty tears hit the pavement. _He knows that he can't win this fight. Ryder my savior!_

Rocky pointed his eyes at Ryder. They were red with sadness. "I understand. I-If you have to punish me, then I'll accept whatever you decide."

Ryder nodded. "I know what your punishment is going to be." He pointed at Marshall. "I want you to apologize to him and become friends again. I've had enough fighting between you two that my next life is getting enough of it."

"For some odd and unusual reason, I feel like there is a but coming?"

"But-," Ryder added

Marshall turned his head at the word. _But what else? I don't know if I can handle just an apology_. He was too deep in thought to notice Ryder standing up, looking him directly in the eyes. He smiled awkwardly.

"Marshall has to accept your apology for it to count," continued Ryder.

"And if I don't?" Rocky asked

"Then you will be suspended from the team for a month…...both of you will."

"A MONTH?!" Rocky and Marshall shouted in sync.

"Why a month, Ryder?" asked Marshall. It should be more than that. "And why am I being punished?"

Ryder raised an eyebrow. "For one, I'm generous. Second, because Rocky brought up an excellent point, I have been too fair to you. So, if you guys want to stay punishment-free, then you will apologize to each other and never argue again."

Rocky flashed Marshall and evil smile, being careful to avoid letting Ryder notice. "Seems fair to me."

Ryder nodded at the mix-breed. "Marshall?"

Marshall stared at his leader. _This punishment is not fair!_

"Do you think that's fair?"

Marshall gulped. "Y-yes. I think it's fair."

"Very well. When you've reached a peaceful agreement, come find me inside," Ryder said, as he walked into Katie's shop.

They all stood in silence for a few moments, waiting to make sure Ryder was gone until Rocky spoke. His eyes showed he was infuriated. Marshall hopped out of his rig to defend himself from Rocky's barrage of incoming remarks. _Say what you'd like. I will not back down._

"Nice going, Marshall," Rocky said harshly, his words intending to hurt Marshall.

"We wouldn't be in this mess if you hadn't of opened up your muzzle," Marshall barked back.

"Hadn't of opened your muzzle," imitated Rocky. "If you weren't so guilty of the crime, then I would still be nice to you."

"Why are always aiming to blame me for hurting Chase? Chase is my family. I grew up with him. I would never lay a claw on Chase," Marshall promised _. But I did put a claw on him._

"Because I accuse you of doing it based on facts, Marshall," answered Rocky. "You were found with Chase when you claim that someone else did it. Who else could have done it?"

"A stray pup," responded Marshall. "And how could I hurt Chase, Rocky? I mean, look at me. I'm not tough. I'm weak and clumsy. His injuries are not from me attacking him. It had to have been someone else." _Where did all of that untapped rage and strength even come? It couldn't have been me._

"We haven't seen strays near the Lookout in a while," Rocky countered. "So I highly doubt there was a stray near the Lookout at the time of the attack."

"Can we come to a consensus?" asked Marshall

Rocky eyeballed him carefully. "What do you have in mind?"

"Until you come up with some actual evidence, you don't accuse me of hurting Chase. And if it turns out you were right, I'll fess up to the crime. No questions asked. No arguments. Just a pair of handcuffs and a muzzle. Deal?" Marshall said, holding out a paw.

Rocky pondered over the proposition for a few heartbeats. "Okay, deal," he concluded, taking Marshall's paw and shaking it firmly. He started to giggle but tried to stop.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing. It's just that I'm surprised you know what consensus means," he snickered.

Marshall shrugged. "Just because I read a dictionary to get myself to go to sleep, doesn't me I don't remember some words." Now Rocky will get off my back for a little while. What a relief!

"You read a dictionary?"

"Why do you think I fall asleep so quickly? Flip through a few pages of the dictionary. Wham! Puts me right out," Marshall explained. "You should try it."

Rocky smiled at Marshall. "Well since we reached an agreement, do you want to go see Chase? I know I said you probably shouldn't but I honestly think seeing Chase awake will be a relief for us all."

"That sounds like a fantastic idea. You take the lead," Marshall said, and the two pups walked into Katie's shop together. Their personal vendettas aside for the greater good.

* * *

Ryder was sitting outside the recovery room door when they walked in. He brandished a happy look on his face, and it looked like he had been crying at some point. He looked up and sighed when he saw Rocky and Marshall walk in together.

"I guess you guys made up to each other?"

Marshall nodded in response. "We did, and we can't wait to see Chase."

"Well, since the other pups are with Everest at the moment, you two can take your turn to see Chase."

Marshall couldn't hold in his excitement. _I'm glad Everest and Chase are okay. I couldn't bear to lose them._

Ryder approached the door and grasped its handle softly. "Take it slow with him. He's still afraid of new faces, including ours. Oh and he is on heavy anesthetics. Therefore he can't feel much of his body. Katie ordered me not to let you guys mention his spinal fracture."

"We promise to keep our mouths shut on the matter," Rocky reassured.

Ryder dipped his head and slowly pressed the door open and stuck his head inside. "Chase, it's Ryder."

The two pups ears perked to hear even the slightest sound.

"Hey, Ryder," a small voice beyond a white curtain.

Rocky and Marshall let out loud sighs of relief. It felt good to hear his voice again. After all that the team had gone through to make sure he lived, hearing Chase's voice was refreshing.

"Who was that?" Chase said in fear.

"That's Marshall and Rocky, Chase," answered Ryder. "Remember the two pups that I mentioned earlier? That's them right now. Would you like to meet them? They've been waiting a long time to meet you."

"Umm," Chase said, his voice quivering. "S-sure."

"Okay, then. Marshall and Rocky are coming through the curtain, all right?" He motioned for them to move and they did.

Marshall pushed gently on the curtain, avoiding the chance of spooking Chase. He melted when he saw Chase staring back at him both fearfully and curiously. Rocky appeared at Marshall's side a few strides later.

"Hi, Chase," Marshall cooed.

Chase is laying on his side with a blanket covering the lower half of his body. He is putting the pressure on his left shoulder. There was a drip set up behind Chase with the tube stuck into his forearm. The EKG gave off a constant beep each time Chase's heart pumped. His vitals were good.

"H-hi," Chase responded lifting his head up and supporting himself in a slightly upright position. "Is t-that R-Rocky?"

"Yeah, this is Rocky," Marshall said, slowly walking towards Chase.

"That's close enough. Don't come any closer," Chase whimpered. "Same goes for you, Rocky," he added, seeing the mix-breed halt just inside the curtain.

"You don't have to be afraid of us, Chase," Rocky whispered. "We're your friends. Do you not remember us?"

"I don't know you very well. So I don't trust you two just yet." Chase shook his head. "I remember my parents and everyone that I've met since I woke up. I can't remember anything in-between that."

"What are your parent's names, Chase?" asked Rocky

"Well umm, my mother's name is…A-Athena. My dad's name is Tracer," he mumbled.

"Those are exquisite names," Rocky complimented.

"Any other siblings?" Marshall asked. _Maybe he knows about his baby sister, Brooke?_

Chase looked to think as hard as he could, but he shook his head. "I'm an only child."

Marshall slowly tip toed closer to him. "Can I come a little closer?"

Chase's pupils dilated, but slowly returned to their normal size. "Only a little closer."

Marshall took a step forward. "Is this close enough?"

Chase nodded. "You can come closer too, Rocky."

Taking his steps carefully and slowly, Rocky approached Marshall and stopped next to him. "Do you remember who you are and what you do here?"

"I know my name is Chase, but I don't know what my purpose here is," Chase said blankly, looking at Rocky and Marshall. "Do you know what my role is?"

"You're the team's Traffic Cop and Super Spy. You drive a blue truck with police sirens on it," explained Rocky. "Second in command is your other role whenever Ryder is away."

"Huh!" Chase said, acting surprised. "I'm all of that. It sounds like a lot of responsibility. "

"It is, but we know from experience that you are an incredibly capable pup," Marshall said kindly.

"Thanks, Marshall," Chase said, giving off a yawn. He rubbed his eyes with his one good paw. "Oh, man. I'm a little tired." The young shepherd laid his head down, burrowing his face into his pillow. A few seconds later, a light snoring echoed thoughout the room.

Marshall felt a paw touch his shoulder.

"We should let him sleep. He'll be home tomorrow."

The spotted pup nodded his head and turned to leave, only to be stopped by Rocky once more. "What Rocky? I know you're trying to get Chase to remember who hurt him."

"That's not why I'm stopping you. I'm keeping you here so I can tell you something," Rocky stated.

Marshall nodded. "Can we talk on the other side of the curtain?"

"Sure."

They both pushed past the white, silky curtain seperating themselves from the snoozing German Shepherd.

"What do you have to tell me?" Marshall said, turning sharply on Rocky.

"Uhh, well, I've been thinking," Rocky started. "Ever since Chase has been hurt, I've been busitng my butt to try and blame you for hurting Chase."

"Wow, thank you," Marshall scoffed. "Glad to hear it."

"I'm not finished," Rocky huffed. "Anyway, after fighting with you and Ryder, the arguing, Ryder's punishment for both us, I've thought of something that I don't plan to regret."

"What would that be?"

"It's only be like twenty minutes since we came to the consensus, but I think I have a new one for us." He took in a deep breath. "After watching you with Chase just now and how much he is going to need you with his new injuries, I don't plan on looking for evidence against you or anyone. In fact, I want to work with you to try and pull the impossible off."

Marshall was stunned. Like Rocky said, he wasn't planning on looking for evidence. That came as a relief and an upset to Marshall. "What kind of plan do you have in mind?"

Rocky smiled. "I want you to help me get Chase back on his feet."

* * *

 **A/N: Hey guys. I know I've been out of the writing business for a little while, but I have many reasons. One, the tablet I had been using was damaged beyond repair. Second, I didn't know how to do this chapter without being a total writing noob. Third, I needed a little break. Everyone needs a break now and then. I mean, I did 12 chapters in one month. That's alot. Anyway, I'll try and update when I can. I have a ton of ideas for future stories. If you want to know any of them, I'd be happy to share. I know Rocky kind of forgave Marshall a little too quickly, but that is strategic for the story. So avoid leaving a review talking about that, because I am fully aware.**

 **Constructive criticism is accepted as always**

 **Remember to Favorite/Follow and I'll see you in the next one.**

 **AtlasWolfActual out!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Now that the last chapter has been taken care of, I can now start updating on a regular schedule. I'm going to try and update once a week, now that I have my new two in one tablet. It feels good to be back. Enjoy the chapter you guys and gals.**

 **To PBJNachos: You didn't rush me whatsoever. I've needed to update. So really, you brought up something that I've meant to do. Therefore, I appreciate it. Thanks for being a faithful and friendly viewer. Cheers.**

 **Welcome to Chapter 14 of Hearts of Ice and Fire**

* * *

Marshall woke up at the crack of dawn. He planned on being the first pup to see Chase when he would arrive at the Lookout later that morning. His heart pounded at what Chase's reaction would be when he would soon learn the injuries that his body had sustained.

He had been sitting on the Lookout driveway for some time. The concrete beneath his paw pads felt warm and bumpy. A cold breeze blew off the salty, blue sea which flattened his fur and blew his ears around awkwardly; but he didn't seem to mind.

For the past hour and forty-six minutes he had been waiting patiently, Marshall took the time to reflect on how he got to this position and how he injured Chase. All the evil and cruel things he said during his brutal pounding on Chase. All the lies and tricky things he told to keep his tail safe.

A lone tear trickled down his cheek, and he didn't move a muscle. The small, wet orb almost floated over his white hair. It slipped off and time seemed to slow as the tear made freefall towards the ground below. Marshall could hear Chase screaming in his head as the water made an impact which abruptly stopped as the sound of a lone drop echoed in his mind.

The sudden sound of the Lookout's doors opening caused Marshall to jump. He turned around swiftly and stared at Everest, who stood a few feet away from him. He exhaled a relaxed breath. "What are you doing out here? You should be resting your leg," he said seriously.

Everest had returned to the Lookout the night prior after Katie gave her a final checkup. On her injured leg, she wore a tight wrapping of gauze and ice blue tape to cover it; which is her favorite color. She had the leg tucked up using a brace that attached to her hindquarters.

Taking her steps slowly she limped over to Marshall, talking as she did. "I know, but after all that has happened. All the pain and sadness. I can't stand to see you upset anymore." She stopped next to him and took a seat. Her gaze is staring off down the Lookout driveway.

"What am I supposed to do when he gets here, Everest?" Marshall whispered. "Being in the same room with him was almost too emotional for me to handle. And Rocky…"

"What about him?" Everest asked, her voice giving off an annoyed growl.

Marshall thought back to what Rocky had said. _I want you to help me get Chase back up on his feet. What can I possibly do to contribute?_ "He mentioned something yesterday before we left Katie's shop."

"And what did he blame you for this time?"

"He didn't blame me. He apologized to me for all the things he said to me," Marshall said, a little taken back by Everest's disappointment in Rocky.

"He apologized!" Everest exclaimed. "After the hell, Rocky has put you through, he says sorry, let's be friends again."

The Dalmatian nodded. "Pretty much, yeah, and he wants me to help...- "

 _ ***Honk Honk***_

Both pups directed their attention down the driveway and sighed at what they saw. It was Katie's shop van. Marshall could see the blonde girl behind the wheel of the vehicle as she pulled to a stop in front of the pups. She opened the door and walked up to the pups.

"Hey, pups," she said, quickly looking at Everest's leg. "You feeling okay?"

"Just a little sore," Everest responded.

Katie stood up to her feet. "Where's Ryder? I just need to have him sign some papers for Chase's medications."

"Umm, last I saw him was," Everest said, drifting off to a new sound.

"I'm right here. HI, Katie. Is Chase okay?" Ryder said, walking out the Lookout tower. A proud and excited look plastered on his face.

Katie nodded. "Oh, yeah. He's in the back of the van. Let me get him while you fill out a release form," she said, motioning for Ryder to follow her.

"Release paper?"

Katie clenched her teeth in embarrassment. "Ooh, that's right. You've never had to sign one. Whenever an animal comes into my shop with a serious injury forcing the poor soul to stay in my shop overnight, the owner has to sign a release form. It's dumb, but it's part of the business." She handed the clipboard to Ryder and told him to sign individual lines. "It also has his medicine prescription too."

He handed the board back. "Are you going to carry him or am I?"

"I'll show you how to move him, but I'll take him inside. Did you set up an area for him to stay while he 'recovers'?"

"The spare bedroom, so I can stay somewhat close to him," Ryder answered.

"What kind of medication is he taking?" Marshall asked curiously.

"Similar to what Everest is taking, just stronger. Plus, a lot of others that I can't pronounce correctly. It's mainly painkillers, vitamins, and a special one for his broken bones," Katie answered swiftly.

"Has he asked about his back yet?" pressed Marshall. He felt Everest touch his shoulder. His eyes peered over at Everest, who was shaking her head.

"Don't ask about that," she whispered. "Chase might hear us."

"Hey, I'm only curious," Marshall whispered back sharply.

Katie shook her head. "The drugs in his veins are still a relatively healthy dose. He'll likely figure it out soon, though."

Marshall quivered and whimpered. "Can we take him inside, please?" he asked, his voice cracking under big emotions. I don't want him to find out.

"Yes, let's get him inside and settled," Ryder concurred. "Katie, please," he said, pointing to the back doors of the van.

She nodded and slowly opened the back doors. "Chase is sleeping at the moment, but he shouldn't even know you're moving him. Like I said, heavy anesthetics."

Marshall, Ryder, Everest and Katie all stared into the van. Towards the back of the van, Chase was curled up in a tight ball. A blue blanket covered his body besides his head. The faint rise and fall of his chest were noticeable in the dim light.

Ryder and Katie both embarked the van's cargo area. "How do I carry him?"

Katie gingerly tightened Chase's body, making his ball shape tighter. "you're going to lift him so that he stays horizontal in a laying position. Your hands need to be on one shoulder and one hip. Try to keep his back straight and carry him wherever you'd like. It keeps him secure, and he feels much safer too."

Ryder practiced the grabbing and holding a few times before mastering it on the fourth try. "Can I please take him inside?"

Katie exhaled deeply, as though she would regret it, but she nodded. "Yes, you can. But I need to look at where he'll be staying just to make sure he's going to be okay."

Ryder dipped his head. "Fair enough," he said, stroking his sleepy pup on the head. "Let's get this big guy inside." He picked up Chase, like Katie had taught him and slowly exited the van.

Marshall was happy to see Chase home safe and sound. He stuck to Ryder's side like super glue as Ryder brought Chase inside and into the spare bedroom. Katie followed closely behind them. She was carrying Everest.

The spare bedroom was a replica of the room where Ryder slept. The only difference was this one to house family members for the pups, or at least the pups who have a family. The king size bed on the opposite side of the room was colored dark gray with black tribal symbols all over it. On the other end of the chamber was another bed, a pup bed.

The pup bed was about half the size of a twin mattress. Ryder gently set Chase down on the bed, keeping the blanket on him.

Katie had put Everest on the floor and inspected Chase's living accommodations. "He has food and water. The bed is firm enough for his back, and there is some decent lighting in here." She nodded approval. "It should suffice."

Ryder pointed thanked her and pointed to the opposite side of the room. "Can we talk over there, please? I just have a few more questions."

"Sure."

Ryder led her to the opposite end of the room. "What am I supposed to tell Chase when he wakes up and says he can't feel his legs."

Katie sighed. "I would say he got into an accident. Saying there was an attack will make him feel vulnerable to another one. The poor pup would be looking over his shoulder the rest of his life."

"Okay, I'll make sure that's what to tell him," Ryder said, rubbing his eyes. "Thanks, Katie." He hugged her tightly. "I owe you."

"It's nothing. I'd hate to see the team broken because of one injured team member."

"That's another thing. I need to start looking for a possible replacement for Chase," Ryder said, nearly struggling to say it.

Marshall felt like someone shot in the stomach. "Ryder! You can't replace Chase. He's part of this team," he said, his voice cracking and shaky.

"I know, pup," Ryder said, kneeling in front of Marshall. "But Chase can't go on rescue's if he has paralysis in his back and legs."

"Bu-but it's not fair. Chase is the team leader. We can't just up and replace him," Everest explained.

"Everest, if you have any suggestions, please speak up," Ryder rasped. She didn't say anything more. "Marshall? Any thoughts?"

Only that I want to come forward and tell the truth. Marshall shook his head. "No," he mumbled sadly. "But Rocky does. He mentioned it yesterday just briefly. He wants to fix Chase's paralysis and let him have a chance to walk again."

"That would be impossible," Katie criticized. "It would be super expensive too. The research behind it would take months, maybe years to fully figure out. Prototypes and test subjects would take even longer. I'm sorry, you guys, but Chase is never going to walk again. I'll send the medication in a couple of hours." With that, Katie walked out of the room.

Marshall whimpered at Katie's response. "Just an idea."

Ryder ran his fingers through Marshall's fur. "It's not your fault, Marshall. She's just upset. I know Katie didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

Marshall glanced at Chase. "I know she didn't. I just didn't like how she just shot down the idea immediately. Rocky is a smart pup. If anybody can figure something like this out, it's him."

"You have faith. It's very admirable of you," Ryder praised.

Chase started to shift in his bed, giving off little groans and whimpers. His eyes slowly opened, and he looked around. His exploration stopped on Everest, Ryder and Marshall. Chase let out a sigh of relief.

"Hey, pup," Ryder whispered softly, taking a seat next to Chase. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel a little sore, Ryder," Chase mumbled.

Ryder smiled. "Yeah, that should be normal for a little while."

"Where are we? This room isn't the room I fell asleep in."

"We're at the Lookout, Chase," answered Marshall. "Katie brought you here about twenty minutes ago. She just barely left."

Chase yawned. "I heard you say something about figuring something out. What were you talking about?" He looked up at Ryder with curious and intent eyes.

"Nothing important, pup," Ryder responded, patting Chase on the head.

Chase held up his injured front paw. "What h-happened to me?"

"You had an accident and broke a couple of bones. You had been in Katie's shop for a couple of days, and that's where you woke. Now here you are, home, safe and sound," Everest answered, who was sitting at the end of the bed.

"Whatever kind of accident I got into, I must have been a complete moron to sustain these kinds of injuries," Chase snickered but paused as though something was wrong. "Did Katie take my hind legs when she performed the surgery?"

Ryder, Marshall, and Everest all stared at each other in shock. "It must be the anesthetics in your body. They'll make you feel that way."

"But it's only my legs, Ryder. I can feel my chest, my two front legs, and my belly, but I can't feel my back legs. A-am I p-paralyzed?"

Marshall kept himself from crying. _Chase knows his legs are useless._ He exchanged a knowing glance with Everest. _She knows that Chase knows too._

Ryder sniffed and nodded his head. "Yes, Chase. You're paralyzed from the waist down. The accident damaged the lower part of your back and nearly severed your spinal cord. I-I'm afraid…," he stopped to gather his thoughts. "I'm afraid you're never going to walk again."

"No! I don't believe you," Chase cried, trying to stand up. He lifted his up on his one good leg and brought his other up as well. The effort and determination in his eyes were like a raging forest fire; persistent and stubborn. His legs started to shake as he kept on trying to move his rear legs. But it was no use; they were lifeless.

Chase's front paws eventually gave in, and he crashed down on his pillow. The sadness on Chase began to blanket over his entire body. He lay his head on the pillow and slowly began to cry and whimper. "I just want my legs back. Please, Ryder. I can't be in bed or a couch potato the rest of my life."

Marshall could hear the deep, sensitive emotions in Chase's upset, crackled voice. _What have I done?_ He approached Chase and went to lay beside him. The Dalmatian put his head across Chase's neck and did his best not to cry out loud.

"Give me my legs back!" Chase cried

Everest snuggled up behind Chase and draped her head and a paw across his side. She gently stroked his fur as her lip quivered and her eyes watered. The once mighty pup, Chase, was now an emotional wrecking ball.

There was a loud knock at the door and Ryder, who had been silently crying, quickly got up and opened it. Skye and Zuma were standing at the door with glowing eyes, which quickly changed to sorrow and distress once they saw Ryder's confused face.

"What's wrong, Wyder," asked Zuma.

"C-Chase knows about his paralysis, you guys," Ryder responded with a sniff.

"No!" Zuma breathed. "We just got the dude back today."

"I knew this was going to happen sooner or later. I just wasn't prepared," Ryder responded, trying to block out the screaming Chase behind him. "But what's up?"

"There's a pair of German Shepherds outside, Ryder," responded Skye, who was struggling to stay vertical. "Could it be..?"

Ryder looked up and wiped his eyes. "It's Chase's parents. They're here."

* * *

 **A/N: Well there you guys have it, Chapter 14 is completed. Lot's of emotion to come in the following chapters and a possible confession…..*SPOILER ALERT*…..XD! As promised, after the end of NEXT chapter, I will be fixing Chapter 9 I believe it was. Anywho, I deleted Academy Life from my stories list. I had put myself in a position where I couldn't figure out where to go next. I plan to re-do that story as a whole and build from the ground up. Thanks for being a great audience. It's always a pleasure to produce this content for you.**

 **Remember to Favorite/Follow for constant updates of chapters and stories to come.**

 **AtlasWolfActual out!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: I've come to realize that I haven't hinted a single spec of romance or having Marshall coming forth with the truth. Trust me; I have a scene in coming chapters that's going to push Marshall over the edge. Before those, we have a little bit of romance between Marshall and Everest. I am going to be bringing in the OC in a couple of chapters because Chase is getting replaced on the team. I know spoilers, but I'm upfront and honest with you viewers. Thanks for being beautiful people.**

 **Welcome to Chapter 15 of Hearts of Ice and Fire**

* * *

 _ **We must all suffer one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is that discipline weighs ounces and regret weighs tons**_

\- _**Sean Covey**_

* * *

 **…..10 minutes earlier…..**

 **…..8 miles outside of Adventure Bay…..**

* * *

Chase's parents had woken up early that morning to catch their flight out of Washington D.C. They had been quiet most of the flight. Their child's injuries could be mentioned in the car. Brooke had been sleeping the entire flight and only acted up when the plane touched down. A few passengers awed at Tracer and Athena's baby girl. They retrieved their bags after the aircraft got delayed from taxying to the gate for nearly a half hour. Then they rented a car a began their two-hour drive from the airport to Adventure Bay.

Tracer was at the wheel of the car with his mate, Athena in the passenger seat, and baby girl, Brooke, in her car seat. Since the phone call with Ryder, Tracer rarely spoke with anyone. Not that he was upset. Tracer got very, very quiet when he was thinking.

"You doing okay?" Athena asked quietly, reaching over and touching Tracer's shoulder. "You've been quiet since we left the house this morning."

Tracer shook his head. "I'm sorry. I've just been thinking about Chase."

"I've been thinking about him too," Athena said. "Chase will be okay. He's tough, like his father." Athena sure did know how to make Tracer smile even in the toughest of times. It wasn't any different on this occasion.

Tracer did indeed smile. "Sometimes I question whether or not who is the tougher one. Me? Or Chase? If he pulls through this, then I won't have to wonder anymore." He glanced back at Brooke but quickly turned his gaze back to the road.

Athena leaned over and kissed his cheek. "He's going to be okay, sweetheart. Have faith in Ryder and his resources."

"It's not that I haven't lost faith. I've lost trust," Tracer mumbled. "I entrusted the safety of my child into that boy, and now he's injured."

"Don't blame, Ryder. It's not his fault." Athena looked back at Brooke, who was asleep in her seat. "We did the right thing, though. Together we created two, healthy children."

"But we failed them both at the same time," added Tracer, casting a regretful glance at Athena. "We've had Brooke around for nearly two months, and we never mentioned her to Chase. And Chase was injured at a place I thought he'd be safe."

"You know why we didn't tell Chase about Brooke, Tracer," sighed Athena. "He has an important job to do, and we can't interfere with that. "

"You mean the outstanding job that nearly cost him his life," reported Tracer.

"His job couldn't have gotten him injured."

"Chase is a cop, just like you and me. We both knew the risks when we signed up all those years ago. And in that time, both of us have been shot, beaten, spit on, and stabbed numerous times. So his job as both a police officer and a PAW Patrol member would give any bastard reasons to hurt him," Tracer explained while keeping his cool.

Athena sighed and sat back in her seat. "I still can't believe his back is broken. Of all his injuries, that's the one that upsets me most."

"Yeah, me too," breathed Tracer. "I'm going to miss that about him. So energetic. So full of life. That boy could run an Ironman Marathon and still have the energy to climb Mt. Everest."

"He's going to be so restless without his legs. That's the bad thing."

Brooke started to give off little puppy whimpers and motherly instincts kicked in, and Athena hopped in the back seat. "Hi, sweetie," Athena chirped. "Did you have a good nap?"

The sound of zippers and unbuckling clips was a clear sign that Athena was in Brooke's bag. A few seconds later the sound of a bottle being shaken up and the little sucking noise Brooke made as the nipple of the bottle made contact with her mouth. Brooke made little cooing noises as she drank her milk, but didn't fuss.

Tracer smirked and continued to drive down the road. "How's our little Brooke doing?" he asked, as soon as Athena retook her seat.

"She's doing just fine. I'm surprised she slept for most of the ride," Athena responded.

"If she's anything like you, then long trips aren't a big issue," snickered Tracer. "Ow! Hey!" he exclaimed, as Athena slapped his a few times in the chest playfully. "What was that for?"

"For making fun of me," Athena laughed, as she kissed him on the lips. "You're in a lot of trouble when we get out of this car."

"Oh, save it for the bedroom," Tracer warned, with a wink. "You might hurt yourself."

"Ugh, fine. How close are we to Adventure Bay?" she said, putting her seatbelt back on.

"Why don't you take a look for yourself?" he suggested, dipping his head towards the windshield.

Athena diverted her attention to where he was looking and sighed with relief at the spectacle that unfolded. "Oh, it's as beautiful as I can remember," she chirped.

* * *

 **...Five Minutes Later...**

 **...Outside of the Lookout...**

* * *

"Tracer! Athena!" Ryder greeted with open arms. "It's good to see you."

Athena hugged Ryder first. "You as well, Ryder. It's been a long time."

"Yeah, I wish it was under different circumstances," Ryder added, letting go of Athena and hugging Tracer.

"Where's Chase?"

"He's inside, but I'm warning you now. Chase knows about his back. He's in there with the whole team right now. They're trying to calm him down, but it's not working," Ryder explained.

Both parents nodded in understanding. "I think we might have a trick to relax him. Athena, can you get Brooke? I think it's time we introduced these two to each other," Tracer said calmly.

Athena nodded her head and went to retrieve Brooke. When she returned, Brooke was following closely behind her. "Ryder, this is Brooke. Chase's baby sister," Athena introduced, looking down at her daughter.

"She's beautiful," Ryder said, crouching down and holding out his hand. "How old is she?"

"6 weeks old," Tracer answered, giving Brooke a lick on the head.

"Ryder! Chase still isn't calming down!" called a voice from inside. "Do you want us to stay with him or not?"

"We're coming, Rocky," answered Ryder.

"Okay, just making sure. Because Chase is starting to flail out and nearly hurt half of us in the process."

"Just stay away from Chase," warned Ryder. He turned back to Tracer and Athena. "Okay, which one of you is bonded the closest with Chase?"

Athena and Tracer looked at each other awkwardly. Tracer pointed at Athena and Athena pointed at herself.

Ryder shrugged his shoulders. "Okay, Athena. You're with me, and we're going to make the room and get Chase relaxed."

"What do you need me for, Ryder?" Tracer stepped up, hoping to contribute.

"Tracer, you will bring in Brooke to fully relax Chase," Ryder said. "Let's go, Athena," he said, as they ran inside.

Tracer looked down at Brooke. "Come on, Brooke. Let's explore," he said, motioning her towards the Lookout. Brooke followed her father reluctantly. Her big ears are flopping up and down as she stumbled to try and keep up with Tracer. They disappeared inside the Lookout.

* * *

 **...Moments Later...**

 **...Chase's Room...**

* * *

Ryder walked into the spare bedroom with Athena firmly behind him. He didn't even get to open his mouth before Athena pushed past him and ran straight for Chase. He followed her and quietly told a few pups to leave.

Skye, Rocky, Zuma, and Rubble all obeyed Ryder's orders and quietly and quickly left the spare bedroom. Zuma and Rocky had apparently been crying over their injured friend and teammate. Both had been side-by-side as they left. The only issue was Marshall and Everest, who hadn't left Chase's side since he learned of his injuries.

"Marshall? Everest?" Ryder whispered. "I need you pups to leave."

Marshall and Everest both looked up at him and then looked at Athena. But despite the desire to argue with Ryder, they both nodded and got to their feet. Marshall quietly hugged Athena and assisted Everest as she limped out of the room.

Chase was quietly crying to himself. He was still unsure whether or not he was dreaming. But he looked up and saw his mother standing above him. "Mom?" he whimpered, holding out his paws.

Athena stepped over Chase and curled her body around his. "My poor baby," she whispered. "I'm so sorry this happened to you."

Chase buried his face into her chest. His crying muffled through Athena's fur. "It's not fair."

Athena held him tightly. "I know it's not fair, but we'll get through this. I promise." She kissed him on the forehead and looked at Ryder.

"Where's dad?"

"He's here, Chase," Ryder answered. "He's just taking care of a special someone at the moment."

"What special someone?" asked Chase with a confused look on his face.

Athena and Ryder looked at each other and nodded. "Ryder will go get your dad." Ryder walked out of the spare bedroom.

A few moments later, Ryder returned with Tracer and Brooke. Tracer rushed over to his son and looked him over, pestering him with ridiculous questions, and not getting any answers.

"Sweetheart, don't bother him," Athena whispered. "He went through hell and back, so he doesn't need to be bothered with your ridiculous questions."

Tracer huffed and kissed Chase on the top of his head. "How are you feeling son?"

"Like half the pup I used to be," Chase grunted.

"You're still a whole puppy, Chase," Ryder returned.

"Depends on how you look at it," Chase mumbled.

"I'm sorry that this happened to you. You didn't deserve the things that happened," Tracer murmured.

"Chase?" Ryder spoke up.

Tracer and Athena helped Chase roll over. That was when he spotted Brooke. "Who's that?"

Ryder escorted Brooke over to Chase's bed, whistling to keep her on track. He was smiling as Brooke used all the strength her little, chunky legs could muster.

Chase looked at both of his parents and back at Brooke regularly. "Is this my replacement Ryder, because if so, this pup is too young?"

"No, Chase. This isn't your replacement. We can discuss that later. This is Brooke," Ryder chuckled.

Chase felt Athena press her muzzle against his ear. "She's your sister."

"W-what?!" Chase exclaimed. "That cute little thing can't be my sister. You must have pupnapped her."

Tracer shook his head. "Nope, she's your sister alright. Come here, Brooke," he said, helping her up onto the bed. "She hasn't spoken her first words yet, but she's close."

Chase looked stunned. "When were you going to tell me I had a baby sister?"

"Your father and I have been meaning to tell you for a while, but we respect how busy and how important you are to this team," Athena explained.

"Can I be the first to say not cool?" Chase groaned.

"We're not proud of keeping Brooke in the dark from you. She's been a pawful at home and with how busy all of us are, contacting you seemed like a huge mountain to climb. The day Ryder reached us was the day we planned on telling you," Athena explained.

Chase scoffed. "You were so busy for a month and a half that you couldn't make a simple five-minute phone call?" He slowly shook his head in disapproval. "She's super cute. I'll give you that." He was talking about Brooke's bright blue eyes. They reminded him of the ocean in many ways.

Brooke didn't seem to care either way. For all she cared, Chase was a playmate since he was around her size. She began to climb all over him, biting at his ears, and attacking his face. Her little growls and needle-sharp teeth made Athena and Tracer start laughing.

Chase batted her away gently, but Brooke kept on coming back with a vengeance. "You're not going to quit, are you?" he said to Brooke, who continued her barrage.

His mother smirked and whistled. "Come here, Brooke. Leave Chase alone."

Brooke listened to her mother and stopped attacking Chase. She was far more intelligent than her age and size showed, so commands and orders were easy for her to follow. Normally, when Athena or Tracer asked for Brooke to come to them, she would.

Instead, she let out a big yawn and curled up against Chase. A few moments later, she was letting out little snores. Brooke was sleeping. Chase looked up at his parents. "She can stay with me for now," he said, letting out a yawn of his own. "Learning good news and bad news can make a pup tired."

Ryder stepped forward and patted Chase. "I'm sorry the truth had to come out as soon as it did." He kissed Chase on the forehead. "Sleep well, pup. We'll see you later." He walked to the door and turned just as Athena and Tracer were around Chase.

"Are you sure you don't want us to take her?" Athena suggested.

Chase shook his head. "I'd like her to stay. She apparently sees me like family."

"She moves a lot in her sleep," warned Tracer. "It might keep you from sleeping."

"I'm still basically a pup myself, so if she can get to sleep fast, I can get to sleep just as quickly," countered Chase. "Besides, the moment I saw her, all the pain and sadness just disappeared. So her staying is doing me a favor."

Tracer and Athena both nodded in understanding and approval. "Alright, well if she becomes too much of a hassle for you, we'll come and take her," Athena said, kissing both of her children.

Tracer leaned over and did the same. "It's good to see you, son," he said, pressing his forehead to Chase's. "You are the bravest and strongest pup that I've ever had the pleasure of raising as my own. Love you, Chase."

Chase felt a tear trickle down his cheek. "I love you too," he croaked, almost crying. He felt Brooke squirm against his belly and Chase felt a wave of relief wash over him. "I'm glad you guys are here."

Tracer eyes were close to letting out tears as he gave Chase a kiss on the cheek. "You should get some rest. We can talk later."

Chase nodded and laid his head down. Brooke grunted when Chase adjusted himself to be a little more comfortable. The injured Shepherd closed his eyes and let sleep take him.

Tracer and Athena looked at each other, before exiting the room. Ryder took a second chance to approach Chase, who had already fallen asleep. He laid a hand on the police pup's side, feeling a strong heartbeat bump against his hand. "Sleep well, Chase. May you dream well."

Ryder stood up and walked to the door. He cast a glance back at Chase, knowing that Chase couldn't be on the team any longer. With a sigh, he shut off the light and closed the door behind him with a click.

* * *

 **A/N: Lot's of great things to come in the following chapters. I appreciate the gratitude from you guys. It always gives me great pleasure to provide this content for you. By the time you read this, there will be a poll on my page as to which OC of mine will be taking Chase's place on the team. It would be much appreciated if you voted. Thanks for being a delightful audience. Cheers to you all.**

 **AtlasWolfActual Out!**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: I want to take the time to thank you all for all the gratitude and honesty that you give me. If I make a mistake or I do something fantastic, you sure let me know it. Tootles to all those people. Your contribution to this fandom will be cherished by me for all time. Thanks for making this place the way it was always intended to be.**

 **-Thank you, your friend and buddy, AtlasWolfActual**

 **Somethings are going to happen in this story that I think you guys are going to love…..hopefully. I mean, I think it's an interesting thing I might throw in to add a little bit more drama. That's all I'll say. Okay goodbye! XD**

* * *

 _ **We crucify ourselves between two thieves: regret for yesterday and fear of tomorrow**_

 _ **-Fulton Oursler**_

* * *

 **Welcome to Chapter 16 of Hearts of Ice and Fire**

* * *

Marshall and Everest had withdrawn to the tree with the wooden platforms after Ryder asked them to leave Chase's room. He didn't appreciate that Ryder had kicked him out so quickly, especially after Chase learning the worst news. But a bit of Marshall's mind also knew why Ryder had done it. They'd been out there together for nearly three hours.

Chase's parents and baby sister were there for Chase. They hadn't seen Chase in a long time. Granted they video chatted every once and a while, but it never felt the same as a physical conversation. Marshall sighed, thinking that the truth would come out eventually.

The spotted pup felt a nudge on his shoulder. He turned his head and saw a pair of ice blue eyes staring back. _Beautiful_ , he thought to himself. Marshall faked a smile, trying to pretend he was okay. Although in reality, he was dying on the inside.

"Is everything okay, Marshall?" Everest asked fondly. "You seem sad."

Marshall sighed once more and sniffed his nose. "Depends on what you mean by everything."

Everest shrugged. "I'm not talking about the attack or events that happened in the days following. I'm asking about right now."

"Oh, I see." Marshall turned his head away. "I guess I'm really upset about Chase learning the news of his injuries the same day he came home. I wasn't prepared for that to come out yet."

Everest rested a paw on Marshall's paw. "Yeah, it is very upsetting and heart breaking, but the news was going to come out sooner or later, Marshall. Sometimes it never goes our way."

"But receiving the news of a broken back from the people you love. The people who don't want to share the news. It shatters my heart, Everest," Marshall said, shedding a sole tear.

"What's you fondest memory of Chase?" Everest asked softly. "Surely there must be many of them, but there has to be one that you cherish strongly."

Marshall sighed and shrugged. "I don't know. I can't think of one."

"Try," Everest persisted

Marshall already had about five different memories on his mind, but felt too stubborn and depressed to share them. _I may as well play ball and give her what she wants._ "My favorite one will have to be when Chase and I were wee little things," he said, leveling his paw about six inches off the ground.

"What makes it so special?" Everest asked, her voice fully intrigued.

Marshall chuckled. "You will probably find this ironic, but we were actually fighting."

Everest rolled her eyes. "What happened?"

"Well, we were out on a hike with our families. Chase and I had gotten ahead of them and just out of no where, we just started fighting. I think it was about whether or not we should wait for the parents to catch up. It was silly. That's all I can say," Marshall explained.

"Let me guess, you started the fight?" Everest said, stifling a laugh.

Marshall shook his head. "Chase actually did, because he wanted to explore and I was too skittish at the time to be far away from my folks. I asked if we could turn back and then it all went downhill."

"I'm confused," Everest whispered. "Why do you find this to be a fond memory?

"Because after the scolding from the adults, Chase and I became stronger friends. That's when we first started to become inseparable," Marshall answered. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Everest nodded and rested her head on his paws.

Marshall looked down at her and smiled. "What made you want to help me? After all that I've done, the last thing I expected to get was an ally in all this."

"Technically, everyone is your ally because they don't know what you did," Everest said.

"I guess that's true."

"But to answer your question, I think I decided to help you because you've suffered enough."

Marshall nodded.

"And I don't want to see my favorite Dalmatian rot in a prison cell knowing I could've done something to help you."

Marshall was shocked. "I-I'm your f-favorite?"

Everest nodded, looking into Marshall's eyes. "Yeah, I mean you were the one I could see being my best friend the moment I laid eyes on you."

"But why me? The rest of the team relates to you better than I do."

Everest shook her head, clearly Marshall was wrong. "They're cool pups to hang out with, but….they aren't you, Marshall."

Marshall began to blush as red as a firetruck. "W-what do you mean by that?"

The husky didn't say anything as she leaned over and kissed Marshall on the cheek, which made Marshall blush even brighter. "How's that for an answer?" she said, as she got up and started to limp-walk away.

Marshall put a paw on his cheek where she kissed him and smiled. He watched her walk away until she disappeared into the Lookout. _Everest likes me_ , he said to himself. _There is no way this is happening._

After all that Marshall had done to Chase, he didn't expect Everest to ever like him especially after she watched him beat the daylights out of Chase. It felt nice to receive a kiss from her, but it didn't feel right at the same time. _I didn't deserve that kiss at all._

"Hey lover pup!" called a new voice

Marshall looked to see where the voice came from. The pup was coming from the Lookout. _Who is that?_ He asked himself, blinded by love. "Oh, hey Rocky," he called, seeing the pup get closer.

"Everest looked pleased," the mix-breed said, coming into view. "What were you two talking about?" he asked, flashing Marshall a few raised eyebrows.

The spotted pup tried not to blush. "Oh, we were just talking about Chase," he lied. And maybe about how I felt about injuring Chase.

Rocky squinted his eyes, but said nothing about it. "Did you at least kiss her?"

"Rocky!" snapped Marshall. She kissed me!

"Sorry, sorry," the mix-breed chuckled. "I just haven't seen Everest that happy since she dated Chase." He snapped his mouth shut, clearly he just said more than he should have.

"Wait, what?"

"Nothing," Rocky said quickly.

"Since when was that ever a thing?" demanded Marshall. Everest and Chase dated at one point?

"When was what ever a thing?" Rocky asked, playing coy with Marshall.

Marshall growled impatiently. "Chase and Everest! When were they dating?"

Rocky sighed, knowing he should have left his trap shut. "Okay you got me. Don't need to bite my tail off."

The Dalmatian stood up and looked around in confusion. He was still trying to wrap his head around that information. "You have some serious explaining to do so talk."

"About a year ago, I found out they were dating. They're not together now, but I still can't believe the reason they broke up."

"What happened to them?"

Rocky shrugged, obviously knowing the correct answer. "I can't remember the details. All I remember is that they were happy for a long time. They loved each other. I was surprised that they kept that love a secret even after they went separate ways."

"Oh, come on," Marshall said. "You've got to know more than that?"

Rocky locked his gaze with Marshall's eyes. It showed signs of sadness. "You want answers? Go the source itself."

The fire pup knew he was talking about Everest. He nodded. "How did you figure out they were dating?"

"A pup has his secrets. We all have our own secrets," Rocky winked, still uneasy about the thoughts whirling around in his mind. "Well, I wasn't coming out here to spill the beans on Chase and Everest's past love, but I was curious if you wanted to go to the beach. I hear Zuma brought his surfboards down there."

Marshall chuckled. "After you just spilled your guts to me?" He shook his head. "No, I think I have a particular Husky pup to confront with kindness?"

Rocky gulped. "O-okay then. We'll be down at the beach for a while. Come on down afterwards."

"I'll think about it," Marshall said. "Take care and have fun. Try not to get wet."

"Wouldn't dream of it." The grey mix dipped his head and began to run towards the beach, disappearing from view after only thirty yards.

Marshall had so many answerless questions flying through his head. It made him feel dizzy. He still couldn't comprehend Everest ever having any sort of romance with Chase. Maybe Rocky was just teasing, he said to himself. "Or I could be completely wrong," he breathed. "Only asking will tell."

He made his way towards the Lookout and ran inside. It took him a mere ten seconds to find Everest, who was deep in conversation with Athena. Marshall decided to ' _observe and listen_ ' in on the conversation. The pup chose to hide behind a wall.

"What were Chase and Marshall like when they were younger?"

 _That's Everest_ , Marshall said to himself. He was very intrigued to see what Athena, his second mother, was going to say.

"Chase was the bossy one of the two, he had a seriously bad knack for getting Marshall into trouble," Athena answered. "Marshall was very skittish around anyone besides family. He got it from his father."

Everest suppressed a laugh. "That explains a lot about them nowadays."

 _Athena's got a point there_. Marshall sported an odd look. _What does Everest mean by that?_

"But I still care about them," Everest said. "I wouldn't be here without those two."

"They've treated you good. The whole team has," Athena said kindly. "But I'm guessing Chase and Marshall are the ones who've been by your side since the beginning."

Marshall poked his head around the corner to see Everest nod, but quickly pulled his head back when Everest looked in his general direction.

"I can't imagine a life without those two. And now with Chase injured, I'm worried about Marshall. He's just so distressed about Chase that I'm scared that he is going to completely lose it one of these days," Everest explained, holding back tears. "Chase was very kind to me, even through our tough times. Same goes with Marshall."

"Let me talk to him. He went through something similar when we lost his mother. If anyone will be able to get him through this, it's me," Athena said reassuringly. "And this team of course."

"What about his father? I don't hear Marshall talk about him much," Everest said, her voice filled with a bit of worry.

Marshall sighed and cursed under his breath. He didn't appreciate his father after what happened to his mother.

Athena shook his head. "Ever since Marshall's mom died, Marshall's father, Ford, went off the grid. That's mainly the reason why Chase and Marshall get along so well, because we took Marshall into our home and raised him."

"Dang," breathed Everest. "If it's all the same, I grew up in the Arctic all by myself for a few years. Parents went out one day and just disappeared off the face of the earth. Never to be seen or heard from again."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Athena sympathized. "With the pup I see in front of me, I can't imagine how amazing your parents must have been. It's tragic."

Marshall felt a tear fill his eye. _She's just like me. An abandoned pup surrounded by family_. The sound of footsteps nearby made Marshall freeze. He quickly hid behind a bean bag chair, hoping and praying nobody saw him.

"Hey, Athena," said the newcomer. It was Ryder. His voice was cool, but had a hint n desperation.

"What do you need, Ryder?" asked Athena.

"It's Chase. He woke up and is very anxious right now. Tracer is with him trying to calm him down, but nothing seems to be working," Ryder said. Despite the matter at hands, Ryder was relatively calm and relaxed.

 _Oh no!_ Marshall thought. _What if he has a major panic attack?_

"How's my other baby?"

"Still snuggled up next to her brother sound asleep," Ryder responded. "Even though he is shifting around a lot. She's a heavy sleeper."

I wish I had a younger sibling like that….or pups of my own, Marshall whispered to himself.

"That's good in some sense," Athena spoke softly, her motherly instincts relaxing. Only to be fired up again. She returned her gaze to the clearly distressed Husky pup. "We can talk later, okay?"

Everest nodded, but stayed locked up in her words.

Athena sighed, gave Everest a small kiss on the top of her head, and followed Ryder into Chase's room. The sound of a door shutting echoed throughout the Lookout.

Marshall stood up and poked his head around the corner. To his shock, Everest was looking right at him. He suddenly felt hot in his fur and the fur on his skin felt itchy and heavy. The dally flashed a guilty smile.

"How long have you been there?" Everest asked, staying where she was.

"Long enough," Marshall answered. "Is all what you said true? About me and Chase?"

Everest had no shame in nodding, but she did slowly. "I care about you two too much to lose you."

"I'm sorry I'm putting you through all this. It isn't fair for you to feel this way after all I've done," Marshall mumbled. "I hope you can forgive me."

Everest limped over to him. She wasn't wearing the brace anymore, but her leg still felt sore. She took a seat next to Marshall and leaned on his shoulder. The Husky pup took in a deep breath and relaxed.

Marshall prepared for the inevitable answer. He knew she still wouldn't forgive him for his actions, but asking didn't kill nobody; at least not yet. She gazed into his eyes and smirked.

"I do forgive you, Marshall. You need a friend by your side to support you through this tough time. It would be impossible to help you without trust."

Marshall felt the hundred pound weight floating over his head vanish. "Y-you forgive me?" he said, almost bringing himself to crying. I can't believe it. "Why?"

"Because despite the fact that you're clearly guilty, you've fought very hard to keep yourself out of trouble. You knew what you did was wrong, and you strived to fix it. To top it all off, you saved Chase's life. Without your help, Chase would've died," Everest explained quietly.

 _Does she still have feelings for him?_ Marshall sniffed and wiped his eyes. "I still can't forgive myself though. If I hadn't of broken his back, I might've been able to salvage my life to some extent."

Everest wrapped her fore paws around him. "Please don't think about that," she whimpered. "It pains me to see you upset."

Marshall sighed and nodded regretfully. "Okay." But at that moment, he remembered what Rocky had said to him earlier. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, anything," she responded.

"Well, Rocky said something about you and Chase," he said, looking at her. He could see exactly where he was going by the look in her eyes. "Care to elaborate?"

"You know, don't you?" she asked with a bit of disbelief.

Marshall nodded. "What happened between you and Chase? From what Rocky said, you two loved each other. What changed that?"

Everest drooped her head in shame. "Something that I will regret every single day for the rest of my life."

"What caused your fallout?"

"Not here," she whispered. "Let's go to the basement."

"Very well," Marshall agreed.

She led him to the elevator and they went to the basement. Marshall could see the discomfort in her body movements. Her breathing was ventilated and she shook slightly. And she didn't look at Marshall once. Her head continued to stay towards the floor.

 _Something big must have happened between them that she doesn't really want to share_ , Marshall thought. As his mind thought of possibilities, the elevator doors opened.

Like any other basement, it was crowded with boxes and dust. Both pups coughed down there, but at least the room was organized; an organized mess.

Everest led him away from the elevator as fast as her injured leg would let her. She turned a corner around a tower of cardboard boxes and stopped him there.

"Why all the secrecy?" asked Marshall curiously. "Is what happened between you and Chase that bad?"

All Everest did was look into the boxes, pushing through a couple, and eventually grabbing something. She pulled out a small box, similar in size to a jewelry box. Instead of opening it, Everest pushed the box towards Marshall.

Marshall blew the dust off the box and looked up at her. "Do you want me to open it?"

She didn't answer.

The dally sighed and slowly opened the box. The creaking sound the old hinges made tickled his ears. He let the top fall over, exposing the contents: a lonely picture. Marshall picked it up and laid it down in the light to get a better look at it.

The picture was of Everest and Chase, both of them were smiling. She was laying on her side and Chase was standing over her, bending his head to get his face in the shot. But something else caught Marshall's eye.

A third set of eyes!

Marshall gasped and quickly scrambled away from the picture. He looked at Everest in shock. "W-wha-what am I seeing here?"

Everest looked at Marshall in shame. "I told him that it wasn't a good idea. That we should've waited until we were older for something like this." She started to cry, letting all the pain wash out.

Marshall looked at the picture again, taking a closer look at the third set of eyes. It was a little pup looking towards the camera. It had light grey fur speckled with black and carried brown eyes. That's when it hit Marshall. It hit him like a wrecking ball, knocking his entire insides out. He felt sick and light headed, but he knew one thing was certain. Based on Everest being upset and the content of that photo, he could only come up with one conclusion.

 _Everest and Chase were parents!_

* * *

 **A/N: Didn't expect something like that now did ya? I know it seems a little weird to be adding in something like this, but I never aim to disappoint. (Unless I have, then that would be embarrassing. Makes me shiver in my trousers). But did I mention drama? Yes I did.**

 **As for the MxE pairing, that's still a ways off. I want to try and do a couple things before that. I won't say what, but it'll be fantastic.**

 **I hope you guys enjoy what I provided for you today. It really felt like a good piece to write. It sounded good in my head, flowed well on the document, and it is very good to be honest. Thanks for being honest, please critique with modest attitudes and I'll see you in the next one.**

 **AtlasWolfActual Out!**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Not much to say other than that I'm sorry for the long wait. I went on a cruise recently and without the Wi-Fi, I couldn't update. It's been an interesting road for this story. It's my most successful story that I've ever crafted and I couldn't have done it without you. So thanks for all the kindness and support, even if the last chapter was an odd one.**

 **I have yet another story idea that I have thought up and I think it will be another good one. And to make it all better, it's a Zuma based story, which is something I haven't done and something you don't see very often on the site. I won't expose any other details besides that but it'll be fantastic when the story comes out.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Welcome to Chapter 17 of Hearts of Ice and Fire**

* * *

There was an overwhelming sensation of butterflies in his stomach. It's not everyday that you figure out that two of your greatest friends were a mated pair at one point. And on top of that, they turn out to be the parents to a mysterious little pup whom Marshall had never seen before. How all of that happened under the Dalmatian's radar was completely oblivious to the spotted pup.

Everest stood across from Marshall. Her body, no matter what angle you looked at it, was drenched by a bucket of shame. A small puddle of tears laid at her feet and she shook in place. Her face was aimed towards the ground and her ice blue eyes continued to add tears to the puddle.

Marshall wanted to approach Everest and comfort her. His natural instinct told him to do so, but for some strange reason he couldn't bring himself to do so. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. Only the quiet hum of his straining throat.

Everest must have heard him because she started speaking. "Please say something," begged Everest.

Marshall swallowed heavily that it almost hurt. "Wh-what do you want me to say?"

"Right now I can honestly live with whatever you have to say," Everest responded.

"Why are you acting this way?" Marshall asked.

"Because I know how much you like me and I don't want you to be mad about this," she answered quickly.

"You think I'm mad at you?!" he exclaimed. "I'm just dangerously intrigued by this. I wouldn't get mad over something like that. You know me better than that."

"I know you are, Marshall," Everest croaked. "I just don't want you to feel hurt by my past actions with Chase. You know that I don't like seeing you upset."

Marshall shook away his tears that he was fighting. "I can't be upset or mad at either Chase or you. I've hurt Chase too much and I'm honestly glad that he forgot about all this."

"Chase would be heartbroken if I told him or if he remembers the baby," Everest added.

Now Marshall felt trapped by all that was going on in his life. First he nearly killed Chase because he overreacted to the Shepherd hugging Everest. Secondly, Chase's parents were in town with a new sibling that Chase had never met. To put the icing on the cake, Everest and Chase were ex-lovers and parents to a child.

It made Marshall's head throb and he shifted uncomfortably. He bit down hard, pressing his teeth together causing them to build up displeasuring pressure. His stomach felt like he was going to hurl any second; like he had been punched in the gut.

The next thing he knew, Everest was pressing her forehead into his shoulder. It seemed like she sensed his distress and had to rely on her old mothering skills to help him get better. To her relief it actually started to work for the both of them.

"Are you okay?"

Marshall nodded. "Yeah I'm fine," he responded gently. "My brain is just overwhelmed right now." He could hear her sigh to herself.

"I knew I shouldn't have told you about me and Chase. Clearly it has some sort of stress on you," she said regretfully. "I'm sorry you're feeling this way."

"Don't be," Marshall whispered. "I did this to myself. None of this would've happened if I hadn't of hurt Chase. If anyone is then it is me."

"You're right to be sorry and I've already accepted it. It's just the aftermath of your actions that are causing all of this stress."

He nodded. She was right too! He knew Chase was going to make it, but he never expected that to be the stressor. "I guess you're right. He'll live, but he'll live believing it was an accident. Apart of me just wants to fess up and admit the truth. That I hurt Chase. Not some stray or human. Me! The clumsy, lovable fire-pup."

"I know the feeling. When Chase and I had the baby, we both had to lie to keep her a secret. But Ryder ultimately found out and to our disbelief, he wasn't mad or disappointed. The boy strived to help us and keep her a secret."

"Speaking of which, where is this baby now?" Marshall asked intently

That's when the darkness washed over her and her eyes seemed clouded. Her lips frowned and quivered as the Husky's eyes began to slowly tear up. She let out a depressed whimper.

It didn't take the dally two seconds to know the exact answer. He too felt like she did, but only half as bad. "She isn't with us anymore, is she?"

Everest quickly nodded her head and burrowed her face into his shoulder, letting out the rain of tears. She bawled into his black spotted fur, making a few spots darker from the tears. Her baby was gone.

Marshall wrapped his forelegs around her, making an attempt at comforting her. He knew that she knew her child was dead, but the pup never expected her to react with such sadness and sorrow and broken heartedness. _I can't even begin to know how she is feeling!_

He held her for nearly three minutes, slowly rocking her back and forth. He tried to calm her down, but nothing seemed to be taking a huge effect. Marshall ran his paws up and down her spine, feeling the vertebrae in her back as his paw glided smoothly over them.

That seemed to work as she starting to take deep breaths, her crying slowly ceasing. Everest hugged him tightly. "I miss her so much."

"I know you do," replied Marshall. "I'm sorry for your loss. I can't imagine the pain you're going through."

"It's okay," Everest commented. "She's in a better place now."

"What was her name?" Marshall asked fondly.

"Sierra," she whispered.

 _Beautiful name,_ Marshall said to himself. "That's a very nice name."

For the first time since they had been down in the basement, Everest slowly began to smile. She clearly had so many lovable memories of her and Sierra. In Marshall's mind, that is what he wanted. A beautiful mate to raise a family of pups as his own. For them to be healthy and strong and all positive things. That seemed like the life.

"Yeah, Chase picked it out," Everest pointed out. "He was such a great father to her. That Shepherd was so gentle and protective of her. I almost thought that when we lost her, he was hurt the most by it."

"I know he would've been a good dad," Marshall said. "Even if she was still alive, Chase would still be a good dad. Even with his paralysis."

To think someone as tough and brave as Chase could be so gentle and loving for something so small. I mean, Chase had Little Hootie but to Marshall it didn't seem to be the same. He was with Chase when the police pup learned about his broken back and he was devastated. The Dalmatian couldn't even begin to understand how broken Chase must have felt when Sierra died, _his_ baby.

"He was for as long as she lived, Chase was always checking on me. Making sure I had food to eat and water to drink. Always kept the place warm so Sierra and I wouldn't freeze," Everest explained.

"That sounds like the Chase I grew up with, even if he was so bossy. He was always looking out for everyone's well being," Marshall added.

"From what his mother told me, it sounds like he was. I felt like a queen up in her castle with how he treated me. Very respectful and loving," Everest chuckled.

That comment stung Marshall. It felt like Everest was still in love with Chase. "It's too bad," he mumbled.

There was one question that he wanted to ask, but Marshall didn't want to upset Everest more than she already was. But there were other questions that were nagging at his skin. Maybe she'll be more open if I ask different questions?

"How did Rocky figure all of this out? By what he told me, it seemed like he knew about you and Chase," asked Marshall. "Did he spy on you guys or something?"

Everest snickered and shook her head. "No, but he found out on his own. When I was getting close to giving birth, you know when my belly is swollen, the darn mix-breed confronted me about it. He was curious like you were and he helped as well with keeping it a secret, even if he didn't approve at first."

"And Jake? Did he know?"

Everest shook her head once more. "I just told him I was going to be hanging out with you guys a lot. He still doesn't know and I really don't want him too. I don't need another person or pup badgering me about it."

"That makes sense. You were smart to keep your pregnancy on the down low, well at least in some ways," Marshall said. "Did you ever get sick while you were pregnant?"

"Besides the normal sickness you get, then no," she answered. "I made sure I was healthy and stayed healthy."

"How did she die?" Marshall blurted expectantly, covering his mouth in shock. "I'm sorry that was not intentional."

For a heartbeat, he thought she was going to start crying again. But to his astonishment, she stayed relatively calm and composed. Though he could see the distress in her icy blue gaze.

Everest sighed and shrugged. "It's okay. Not like asking a question can kill anyone, right?"

Marshall let out an embarrassed chuckle. "No I guess not."

"Well I can say she died peacefully in her sleep," Everest said calmly. "She was a sweet pup, but she was very small. A little runt to be exact. I knew when I first saw her that she may not survive because of her size."

"How long was she alive for?" Marshall pressed.

Marshall knew that runts of the litter generally die. Mainly because the other pups in the litter will keep the runt from feeding, which prevents the runt from developing a stronger immune system. But if she had been feeding for a while, Marshall couldn't pin point why or how Sierra must have died.

"Almost a full month."

"Like I said, I'm very sorry for your loss, Everest. If I had of known I could've helped you," Marshall said, biting back his irritation.

"Chase wanted you to be there, but I decided against it. Like I said, I didn't need another pup badgering me about it. Even if you were there, chances are you wouldn't have been able to do much," she explained softly.

"I would've given you more time to spend with her," Marshall snapped. "And you never know, maybe I could've saved her life and Sierra would still be with you today," he growled before stomping away from Everest.

"Marshall wait," he could hear her beg behind him, but it was no use, Marshall was already calling the elevator.

Despite the gentle humming emanating from the elevator shaft, Marshall could hear Everest crying. His instincts and force of habit wanted to make her feel better, but he couldn't bring himself to move. It felt like his paws were made of boulders.

Even though Everest kept Sierra a secret, Marshall still felt defeated. It was in his job description to help those in need and keep them safe, but nothing could've prepared him for a loss as big as this one. He felt so betrayed by Everest and Ryder and Rocky. Everest especially because she didn't even want his help.

 _Why_? He asked himself.

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open effortlessly. But the space wasn't empty. There was a pup onboard. It was Rocky.

"Rocky? What are you doing down here?" asked Marshall.

"I could ask you the same thing," the mix replied.

"Well I asked you first," Marshall retorted.

"I was coming down here to grab something," Rocky answered quickly.

Marshall didn't know what Rocky could possibly want from the basement, but it was none of his business anyway so he didn't argue

"Your turn," Rocky added smugly.

Marshall took a deep breath and thought out his words carefully. I was learning the news of Everest and Chase's dead kid. "Just rummaging through some of my boxes. Nothing to worry about."

"Uh-huh," Rocky scoffed. "Why is she down here?" he pointed his muzzle past Marshall's shoulder.

Marshall clenched his eyes shut, knowing that Rocky caught him lying. Everest! With his tail between his legs, he turned around to see Everest glaring at them sadly. Her eyes red from her fits of crying.

"Why are you here, Rocky? None of these boxes are yours," Everest said, her sadness exchanged to seriousness.

Rocky growled under his breath, but said nothing. "I was actually looking for Marshall. I thought I'd look down here because of certain reasons." The mix-breed clearly had no idea that Marshall knew about Sierra.

"Marshall knows everything Rocky," said Everest. "You don't have to try and hide anything."

Rocky actually looked sort of stunned. "Oh," he said awkwardly. "I'm guessing you weren't expecting that?"

Marshall glanced over his shoulder. Rocky was obviously speaking to him. All the Dalmatian could do was nod to him.

"And you're totally cool with that?" Rocky seemed confused. "I know I wasn't at the time. Everest almost killed me because I was so disapproving."

"Don't even get me started," Everest said when Marshall made eye contact.

"I'm not cool with it," Marshall said. "Since it was such a big secret and since none of those who knew about it had any sort of medical experience, that child is no longer here today."

"Dude, Chase wanted you there. Surely Everest told you that. I wanted you there too," Rocky said calmly. "You've got to at least give us some credit for that."

"Some credit doesn't save lives," Marshall said, as he pushed past Rocky.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to go visit with Chase. I've had enough of this history class," Marshall answered as the door's closed and the elevator began to ascend.

 _I wish I was there to save Sierra's life_

* * *

 **A/N: Not much to say. Hope you guys like it. Check out my new One-Shot story collection. Only one story out now, but more in the coming future.**

 **AtlasWolfActual Out!**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: It's been a little bit since I last updated this story. I didn't want to do it intentionally, but it really did seem like it. Even after trying to explain it to you all, but was criticized for it because it "wasn't technically a story," whatever that means, but that doesn't matter anymore anyway. That was in the past, let us focus on the future. I got my point across before I ultimately took that down due to complications that were just infuriating. I appreciate the constant support and understanding from you, the viewers. It means a lot, and you know that…..well at least I hope you do XD!**

 **Attempt at a POV ahead! Not sure how it will turn out, but we shall see!**

 **Hope you guys enjoy!**

 **Welcome to Chapter 18 of Hearts of Ice and Fire**

* * *

 _ **~Chase's POV~**_

I felt empty inside.

My body felt like a hollow cocoon of nothingness, yet I still managed to stay hopeful. The news had been broken to me and I still didn't know how to comprehend it very well. I thought the police academy taught you how to cope. But I guess I was wrong!

My legs were lifeless. Not a speck of movement or even a little twitch. They were dead. What did that mean for my future? Was I to be a bed ridden pup for the rest of my life? That's no life if you ask me. A pup should keep all of his or her legs healthy and lively, not have them broken due to an accident.

 _An accident?_

Ryder and Marshall had told me it was an accident and I believed them. But what sort of foolish stunt had I been doing to end up like this? It made my brain hurt just trying to think of a seemingly reasonable explanation, but that was proving to be a challenge all in itself.

"Ah, forget it," I grumbled annoyingly. "They'll tell me eventually."

Though I remained hopeful, I was still prepared for no answers from anyone. It was smart of me to be prepared for any possible outcome. But it could easily go down the drain if I didn't handle it properly.

I stared down toward my snoozing baby sister, who snuggled against my belly. It still felt unfair that mom and dad kept Brooke a secret for as long as they did. The anger I felt burned a whole into my chest wide enough to stick a paw through and tickle the heart inside.

But Brooke was absolutely adorable!

A foot kicked into my side. Not enough to take my wind away, but enough to get my head to snap towards Brooke. She was dreaming. I could tell by the occasional yip or slight twitch of the paw.

At first, I thought it had been a nightmare because a few of the yips seemed full of distress. But they were soon followed by the cutest little howl that I had ever heard. Her lungs were strong, but they were itty bitty things. Soon she settled back down and burrowed deeper into my fur.

Most of my even younger puppyhood days were buried deep into my memory and I just couldn't retrieve them. All the sights, smells, tastes, sounds, and textures I felt as a baby were almost gone, but not entirely.

From pictures that mom had around their house were of me. Although some may have been changed to show Brooke, unless they just added them without taking any away. That seemed more likely. But what do I know? I've not been home in months, so things were bound to change sooner or later. I just didn't think it would change so drastically.

That made me think of my legs and my life changing injuries. Memory loss or no memory loss, I knew a damaged vertebrae was difficult to fix, not to mention expensive. I just longed to walk again despite just learning the news earlier this morning.

To play and to run and do all the things that I dreamed of doing. I'd be lucky if I get to see the light again. Chances are most of my days would be locked up inside where I wouldn't have any risk of hurting myself further. It made my mind feel like it was in a blender.

But that was also my motivation.

So, doing my best to not disturb Brooke, I push up on my one good leg. My leg felt weak like all the muscle had been stripped, leaving only skin and bone. My other front paw was still in a cast, which from what I heard, got twisted the wrong way. My imagination of what that may have looked or felt like made me shudder.

I wasn't that much higher off the ground in this semi-standing position; maybe by a couple of inches. Now the idea of trying to move made this adventure seem even more challenging. Like climbing a cliff face without any equipment. Some could do it, but I was the latter. Chances were that I was going to slip and fall.

Reaching out with my injury-free paw, I extended my arm as far as it would go and stuck my claws into the carpet. Then with all the strength I could muster, I pulled myself forward while staying somewhat upright. This wasn't like walking, more like dragging.

"Well, at least the attempt wasn't a failure, right Brooke?" Chase asked to his still sleeping sister. He knew she couldn't speak yet, but he figured she would respond positively. "Yeah, I thought so too. Let's try it some more."

I continued to try out the technique, but with only one good leg, it soon became extremely frustrating to even want to walk. I knew that it was going to be a while before I would get the hang of it, but that is what I hated most; trial and error.

But I also knew that trial and error was going to be hovering over my head until it either killed me or went away. So I kept trying harder and faster to build up my strength. I just hoped and prayed that Ryder and my parents would walk in on me. My mother would freak if I was already trying to move after just getting back to the Lookout.

So from all the time I was sort of vertical, I had managed to go around the room about three times full, which took about fifteen maybe twenty minutes to accomplish. Main due to the occasional break to catch my breath. I was contemplating whether or not calling it quits would benefit me to give my body a rest or make me feel weaker.

My legs grew tired and I soon felt the full weight of my exhaustion. It took a lot more energy out of me than I had originally thought. It almost felt like I had sprinted five miles in one go. So based on how weak I actually felt, I decided it was best to get some rest.

Smart? I sure hope so!

I crawled back into my bed and snuggled up next to Brooke, who made a cute little groaning sound when I moved her slightly. Getting into my simple resting position, I closed my eyes and waited for sleep to take me.

The road to recovery was only just beginning!

* * *

 **A/N: I know it's a very short chapter, but I think it is very necessary. Now you can get an idea of what Chase is feeling and how motivated he really is to get back to his old self. Plus this short chapter just lets me get focused on another one of my stories that I plan to update next. Hope you guys like it despite it being so short, but I figured a transition to someone else would look a little strange and maybe a little repetitive.**

 **Hope you guys like it. Like I've said in my other recent updates, I do NOT for any reason tolerate disrespectful comments towards me or my stories. They will be deleted without any remorse or thinking. Constructive criticism is always welcome though.**

 **Atlas FF**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Since I kinda robbed you guys in the last chapter by making it short, I vowed not to make another one of those short chapters again. This chapter is going to be set two weeks into the future mainly because nothing important happens in the two weeks prior. Anything that may have had some significance will be explained the coming chapter. Why I am doing this is because I'd like to get all my stories done by at least the end of May. Shouldn't be too hard, right?**

 **Very, very, very BIG things happening in this chapter. You can probably guess what I am talking about, but if you don't, then you are in for a very big revealing surprise in this chapter. We're coming down to the final stretch. It has been one hell of a ride.**

 **Enjoy you guys!**

 **Welcome to Chapter 19 of _Hearts of Ice and Fire_**

* * *

 _ **"The man who can keep a secret may be wise, but he is not half as wise as the man with no secrets to keep."**_

 _ **-E. W. Howe**_

* * *

Quite some time had passed since Chase had been checked back into the Lookout Tower. It had been a tough two weeks with the poor German Shepherd pup. On the bright side of things, his broken ribs were starting to heal very well and the swelling in his chest and belly was either close or all the way healed. But the bad things were far outweighing the good things.

About every few days, Chase gets the worst of the worst panic attacks that he or anyone at the Lookout had ever experienced or witnessed in their entire lives. The worst one he received was when he felt like he was receiving his injuries again. All of them, from his broken paw to his paralysis. But despite the injuries, he didn't get back any memories of the attack, which Chase still thought that it was an accident.

That panic attack took Athena and Brooke two hours to put Chase back together again. It took a lot of coaxing and holding to finally get Chase to sleep. Athena had left the room crying for her child after the ordeal was over. It was the most traumatizing thing that had ever happened in her life. She was scared that she could've lost him for good.

Athena returned to Chase after she was crying and refused to leave him for three days. Even Tracer couldn't pull her away from Chase to let his son relieve himself. It frightened her to think that if she walked away, he would get scared and have an attack that kills him. So she continued to stay with him until Chase himself got sick and tired of her constant nagging. But I guess that's what good momma's do, right?

Marshall avoided Everest for most of the two weeks. Ever since she told him about her former love interest in Chase and the fact that they had a baby made smoke come out of Marshall's ears. He wasn't necessarily mad at her for telling him. He was mad at her for not telling him, when the baby was in desperate need of a doctor. It may have lived if he got involved.

But Marshall couldn't stay mad at her. He admired this one for her constant kindness and devotion to her friends and family. She shared the same values that he did and they both had similar interests. In his mind, the idea of him and her being in love was close to becoming a reality. But with him avoiding her, the possibility of being pushed back a couple pages was more than likely; it was a reality. Yet, he stayed optimistic that everything was going to turn out okay. But he knew that anything could be crumbled to smithereens with just one wrong move. He was going to have to play his cards out carefully.

* * *

Marshall spent a lot of his free time, which was pretty much all of his time, taking the chance to visit with Chase and do simple medical inspections of his Shepherd friend. Katie had given him the all clear to check his treatable wounds and feed him his antibiotics and other assorted medication.

He sat off to the side, while Chase dragged himself around his room. Turns out that if Chase doesn't get the physical activity he needs on a near daily basis, his lungs will become filled with fluid if he doesn't keep up his exercises regularly. And it had a positive turnout. Chase was now able to roam, occasionally around the Lookout, but was too frightened to go outside because he felt vulnerable to more injury. And his forelegs were getting incredibly strong.

"Hey, Chase," called Marshall, stopping the Shepherd in his tracks. "Can you come here for a second?"

Chase didn't bother to answer because he knew what Marshall was planning on doing. "Why bother anymore?" he groaned as he flopped onto his belly in front of Marshall. "You've been getting the same result since the beginning."

Marshall smiled and ran his paw along Chase's spine, feeling a large divot where the break was located at. "One can always stay hopeful for others even if the others give up on themselves. Besides, I've nothing better to do than perform my simple, painless experiment."

"Painless for you," Chase scoffed. "You aren't on the…OUCH…receiving end. Why don't I give you a spinal check up, see how you like it?"

Marshall was giving little bites along Chase's spine. If Chase reacted, then his nerve endings were alive. If not, then well that is pretty self explanatory. "No thanks," Marshall laughed. "I think you'd take it too far if you ask me."

"I would not-," he winced when Marshall nipped him again. "That wouldn't be fair. A least for you."

"Why is that?" Marshall asked.

"Because I'd give you more than just a spinal examination," Chase winked. "Didn't you know that I practice gynecology? I'd tear you a new one."

"With what? Your baby carrot?" Marshall chipped.

"You've never seen it before, unless you've been creeping on me when I take a leak," Chase hissed, a hint of playfulness in his words.

"Nope!" Marshall smirked and gave a sharper nip towards the bottom of his friends spine. "You won't be asking me to bend over and say ahh, because I would bury you outside like my bone."

"I'd like to see you try," Chase chuckled.

"Cash me outside, how bout dah?" Marshall smiled.

"Even though I don't remember much before my accident, I know for sure that you just tried to say a dead meme to my face. Stop making stupid people famous," Chase explained.

"Dang it," cursed Marshall. "You're still witty."

"And you're still clums-," he started to say before he winced from another nip. "Are you done yet?"

"Almost," Marshall answered quickly.

"Lately I feel like this might end up being my reality," Chase huffed sadly. "You'll be checking my back everyday, which is hopeless. Nothing can make me walk again." He laid down with his muzzle under his paws.

"I believe that you will walk again someday," Marshall reassured, placing a paw on his friends shoulder.

"The panic attacks take a huge toll on my body," Chase added. "I wish they would stop. I can't take them anymore."

"I'm sorry, Chase. I wish there was something I could do to fix that," Marshall sympathized, pressing a claw into the rear of his spine. "Feel anything there?"

"I told you that it was hopeless." Chase looked at Marshall, his eyes filling with tears. "I didn't even realize you were doing that. Nothing, not even god, can fix my back."

Marshall dug his claw deeper, hoping Chase would feel the slightest pinch. It would be his luck that Chase would regain all feeling and return to his old self, but that only happens in the movies or in little kid fairy tales. He even broke the skin and a few crimson beads came out, but Chase didn't whimper once.

Marshall pulled his claw out, the tip covered in wet blood. He licked it clean, disliking the metallic taste. "Well, on the bright side, you can still move around the Lookout. You don't have to be confined to this room for the rest of your life."

"Yeah, but I'll be confined to the Lookout though," Chase whimpered.

Marshall shook his head. "Ryder never said anything about that you not being able to go outside. You're just scared to and I understand that. You're confining yourself to the Lookout to avoid more injury. In time, you'll be going outside like your old self without worrying anymore."

Chase shrugged. "I guess that's true. But when will that be?"

"It all depends on you, Chase," Marshall said.

Chase nodded, but started to cry loudly and uncontrollably.

Marshall now fully understood the extent of Chase's injuries and not just the physical ones. Despite the paralysis and broken bones, Marshall could finally comprehend the emotional injuries going on inside and outside his friends body. He ran a paw up and down Chase's spine, which seemed to ease his crying a little bit.

I should tell him the truth, but how? How does one explain something like that? Marshall asked himself, whilst shaking his head. He probably wouldn't believe me anyway.

"Can I ask you a personal question?" Chase sniffed, lifting his head up and wiping his eyes. "I mean, we can't play together, only talk. I hardly know you."

"I've been in your life longer than you think, Chase," Marshall smiled. "Ever since we were wee little things, you and I were inseparable."

"Were inseparable?" Chase asked, a confused grin on his face.

Marshall began to see near vivid images of him attacking his broken friend, knowing that was when he and Chase really couldn't be the best of friends anymore. But even that sort of changed when the team found out Chase had a case of amnesia.

"Earth to Marshall," Chase echoed.

"Sorry, Vietnam flashback. Well since your accident, you can't remember it all nor any of your past memories before the PAW Patrol. You know your parents names and all the people and pups you've seen since you woke up in Katie's clinic," Marshall explained. "And of course words and speech."

"Vietnam flashback? What are you saying? Have you gone mental or something?"

"Yeah, I guess I have," Marshall realized. "Ask Siri what a Vietnam Flashback is."

"Who is Siri? Is she pretty?" Chase asked. "She sounds pretty."

That's when it finally hit Marshall that Chase didn't know about any of these things that he was saying like Vietnam or Siri or even Adventure Bay. So Marshall quickly explained a couple of things that they had in the world. He also had to make sure Chase knew that Siri was a program not a person.

"Interesting," Chase said, after learning a couple of new things.

"Very," Marshall added.

At that moment, Marshall's pup tag bleeped twice and he knew that it was a call from Ryder. "Hey, Ryder. What's up?"

"Not much, listen can I talk with you? It's urgent," Ryder asked quickly.

"Sure," Marshall said, without hesitation.

"Okay, where are you?"

"I'm with Chase."

"Chase cover your ears," Ryder ordered.

Marshall and Chase exchanged strange looks with each other. What did Ryder have to say to Marshall that Chase couldn't hear? As much as he wanted to pretend that Chase covered his ears, he didn't want to take a risk. "Do as he says, Chase."

Chase huffed, but didn't argue as he covered his ears and stuck his head under a pillow. "Make it quick, I already hate this secrecy."

Marshall gave his friend a reassuring pat on the back and walked to the opposite side of the room, trying to get out of Chase's ear shot. "Okay, why all the secrecy?"

He could hear Ryder sigh dreadfully. "I got some bad news from Katie this morning, Marshall. And since you are the teams medic, I figured I'd share this with you first. And actually, I think it's best I talk with you face to face. Come to the top of the Lookout."

"Oh, o-okay," Marshall said, shaking just a little bit. Am I in trouble? "I'll be right there." His pup tag shut off shortly afterwards.

Before Marshall walked out of the room, he stopped by Chase and tapped him on the shoulder.

Chase pulled his head out from under the pillow and uncovered his ears. "That was fast. What did Ryder say?"

"I don't know yet," Marshall answered. "He wants to talk with me up at the top of the Lookout."

"Well, I guess that means you're leaving me all alone," Chase groaned sadly.

"Ryder didn't say you couldn't tag along," Marshall said.

"But he didn't want me to hear what he had to say, so it is about me obviously," Chase said. "I could hear it in his voice."

"You can come with me or stay here, it's your choice," Marshall said. "I won't twist your paw."

"For the sake of keeping us both out of trouble, I will stay here," Chase said. "I really don't want to upset Ryder more than he already is."

"You can tell a lot from the sound of someone's voice, can't you?"

Chase only nodded. "What are you still doing here? Go on, get. I'm gonna catch some Z's."

The German Shepherd pup laid his head down on his pillow and within a few heartbeats, he was finally asleep. The exercises were essential, but incredibly exhausting on him. Sleep came easy after them.

Marshall smirked and left Chase alone in the room and went to the elevator. The discomforting feeling when the elevator first started to rise made Marshall's head hurt, but it was nothing to him. He was used to it.

At the top, the doors opened and Marshall stepped out, but stopped immediately. He thought that he was going to be alone with Ryder. But he was wrong.

Tracer and Athena sat off to the side, both of their faces emotionless. They stared at Marshall, but didn't acknowledge him, as he walked towards Ryder and stopped about ten feet away. Butterflies flew uncomfortably in his stomach as his mind began to run wild.

 _Why are they here?_

 _What is this about?_

 _Am I in trouble?_

But there was one thought that he hoped wouldn't become a reality. And it terrified him to death.

 _What if Ryder knows what I did to Chase?_

He suddenly felt very hot as the atmosphere in the room seemed to turn very hostile. His eyes drifted over to his adopted parents, Tracer and Athena. Tracer had a look of anguish in his eyes. The fur below his eyes was wet and his claws drug against the floor, leaving light scratches. Athena looked worse though. She couldn't even look him in the eye. Her body shook like she was in shock. Her lip trembled and her eyes were filled with sadness.

"Is everything okay?" Marshall asked.

"You tell me," Ryder finally said.

Ryder has his back turned to Marshall. But he turned around when he spoke. The boy looked calm, but the occasional twitch of the lip and eye made it seem like he was trying to control an uncontrollable rage monster deep within his soul. And he looked like an overinflating balloon; one sharp object and he would pop.

"What's going on, Ryder?" Marshall asked, his voice full of worry. "You called me up here for something important. Is it about Chase?"

"More or less," Ryder said. "It's about both of you and the day of the 'accident'."

Marshall gulped as he realized where this was going. Lord have mercy! He didn't want to say anything, but he knew Ryder was finally on to him. The spotted pup froze like a statue. But he saw a tear form in Ryder's eyes.

"Why?" Ryder asked, his voice croaking.

Marshall didn't know what to say. The words were in front of him. Literally, they were right there. He could see them, but he just couldn't reach them. He wasn't trying to be defiant, he was just petrified. Marshall couldn't bring himself to look in his leaders eyes anymore. His head drooped and hung loosely.

"How could you do what you did to Chase?"

Marshall shook his head. "How did you find out?"

"Katie told us," Athena answered. "Just barely."

"She said that after the surgery, you spoke a lot in your sleep. That's when she found out. Why she is choosing to say something now she wouldn't say?" Ryder said. "But what I can't stand is that you lied to me and Athena and Tracer and to all the other pups right to our faces."

"I was scared at the time and I'm still scared now," Marshall confessed. "I hurt Chase badly and I realized that I did when I was told all the injuries."

Tracer growled and walked up to Marshall with his teeth barred. "Have you no sympathy or honesty left in you? I'm ashamed in you and I regret that my family took in someone who could hurt his own family so badly and have no remorse for his actions."

"Tracer!" exclaimed Athena. "Marshall was the one who took Chase to Katie's clinic. He helped keep Chase alive and now our baby is healing."

"Why are you taking his side?" Tracer said, going face-to-face with Marshall. "He nearly killed your son and now you're protecting the culprit?"

"I don't stand by his negative actions, but I support the fact that he at least tried to make amends for his actions by saving Chase's life. Katie couldn't have done it without his knowledge and experience," Athena said sternly, stepping between Marshall and Tracer.

"Maybe so," huffed Tracer. "But he still almost killed my boy! Him saving Chase's life doesn't change anything."

"Yes it does," Athena said, saying each word slowly. "Ryder? What would've happened if Marshall hadn't of helped Katie save Chase's life?"

"W-well," Ryder stuttered. "After Chase's heart stopped the first time, Katie told us that if Marshall didn't help, the next time Chase had another medical fit Chase would've die for sure."

Tracer snorted and took a few steps back. "Ryder, I want Marshall removed from this team immediately. He clearly doesn't have the correct mindset to be on this team."

"That's not true and you know it," argued Marshall, stepping up to Tracer.

"What did you say, boy?" hissed Tracer.

"If I didn't have the correct mindset, I would've let Chase die and then I would've pissed all over his grave. I can't sleep at night because I get nightmares. I never want to leave Chase's side because I fear that he could die at any moment. He's the reason why I am still here. I'd hate to lose the things I care about most."

Ryder stepped in. "You still did the things you did, Marshall. So until I can think of a reasonable punishment, you are temporarily stripped of your PAW Patrol status. You'll be forced to stay inside the Lookout where we can keep an eye on you. You are not to go anywhere near Chase. The team will be informed of these new implications immediately."

Marshall nodded. "I understand. I'm sorry, Ryder!"

"I'm sorry that I don't believe you, Marshall. Prove your worthiness and you might just get to stay. You should find that the basement spare bedroom should work for your sleeping situation. Please go."

A tear formed in the dally's eyes as he did as he was told. It was in his best interest not to argue. So with the best intentions, Marshall did as Ryder asked of him without arguing.

 _Who have I become?_


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Well we made it! Chapter 20! I can't believe it. It feels like just yesterday I started this story with little hope that it would do good and I am being one-hundred percent genuine by saying that. I seriously thought that this one was going to crash and burn like some others that shall be unnamed. But regardless, this story as surpassed my expectations ten fold. But now a more serious note!**

 **I said in the last chapter that I am ending this story before I leave for boot camp in June. That was absolutely true at that time, but my mind has changed once again. I intend to still finish this story before June, but there is more that I intend to do with it. When I return from boot camp, I want to possibly return to this story by picking up where I left off. So I'll leave the ending open for continuation should I still want to keep writing, but end it just in case that doesn't happen. Hopefully that makes sense! If not, oh well!**

 **Thanks for being a great audience! Enjoy!**

 **Welcome to Chapter 20 of Hearts of Ice and Fire!**

* * *

 **"They may not be my kids, I didn't give birth to them, and they don't have my DNA but they have my heart, my support, and above all they have my never ending love" -Unknown**

* * *

Marshall never thought that Ryder and the others would find out that he was the true culprit in injuring and nearly killing Chase. The instant resentment and retaliation of words from the other pups was excruciating and they really hurt Marshall emotionally. And to top it all off, Ryder didn't stop them from saying rude comments to him.

It had been six days since the truth finally came out and Marshall hadn't left his room since then. Which didn't necessarily help him since the others came by more often than ever. Some of them would be in Marshall's room for hours on end insulting him and wishing harm far worse than what Chase suffered. Some of the threats were rather childish, and Marshall had grown a little bit so petty insults weren't that bad.

But other comments often threatened his life or even his entire existence on Earth! The worst came from the pup that didn't trust him from the very beginning. The one he made temporary peace with until the 'real' culprit was found. This same pup Marshall agreed to help design a device to help Chase walk again. But now all that effort he made to keep his secret a secret was all down the drain.

That pup was Rocky!

Rocky was taking the shocking news the worst out of the other pups. He wasn't behaving normally and he slowly became deranged and unstable. It was tough for Rocky not to spit on the ground whenever Marshall was brought up in conversation. Ryder actually found him crying to himself shortly afterwards and he refused to give a reason.

"I trusted you," he whispered to Marshall that same day. "I put my faith into you and hoped that I was wrong about you, but I guess I was wrong once again."

That was the only thing that Rocky said that wasn't remotely hostile. Anything that came after was never in the range of even neutral. The mix-breed was going atomic with his insults. Saying things like Marshall shouldn't have been conceived or threatening his status on the team. Yet, Rocky never brought up Chase in conversation, or more accurately, unhinged screaming and cursing.

As much as he wanted to contradict them and prove them wrong, Marshall knew better not to argue and just let them say what they wanted. Sadly though after a while, Marshall slowly started to believe everything that was told to him. Any comment that could be made into either an insult or a threat he took personally. His emotional state was off the charts and it became a habit of crying himself to sleep just to get any rest, which was a rare occurrence all in itself.

But there was something or someone that made his daily volleys of hate less stressful. And that someone was his secret crush, and possible admirer, Everest. And since Everest already knew about what Marshall did way before any of the others, she opted not to join in on the mockery and unnecessary name calling.

Whenever the others would be finished with putting Marshall down, she would enter the room and try to comfort him. It worked occasionally, but other times it was a less than one percent chance of proving successful. Marshall did enjoy seeing her, but there were some times when she would come down to see him and he frankly didn't want to see anybody. Being harassed slowly changed the once charismatic pup into someone seeking constant isolation and darkness.

Today was odd though, or out of the ordinary from the daily 'routine'.

Not one pup had come down to see him since Marshall woke up, which was nearly three hours ago. It kind of relieved him that he may of actually achieved a day of peace.

"Maybe Ryder finally put a stop to all the name calling?" Marshall guessed, shrugging it off shortly after.

He longed for Everest to show up. The spotted pup needed someone to talk to. The loneliness and isolation made his heart ache for a friend. He wouldn't have minded if Ryder himself walked through the doors.

And just his luck, there was a knock at the door.

Marshall hoped off the bed and walked slowly to the door to unlock it, which he failed to do the first couple of days. He didn't even notice it until just the night before. With a slow reach up to the door handle, he turned the knob and the lock clicked loudly, and opened the door to see who going to insult him today.

But that wasn't the case on this one.

Athena stood in the doorway with a look of grief on her face. Despite Chase being her child and everything, she couldn't be mad at Marshall forever. He was the other child that she wished she had besides Brooke and Chase. But it was hard to forgive and forget what Marshall did so quickly. Especially for Chase's mom.

The fire pup opened the door fully and walked back to his bed without saying a word. Saying the wrong thing could easily spiral this unexpected visit in the wrong direction, which is where Marshall preferred to stay away from as best to his abilities. He hoped back onto the bed and returned to where he previously was only moments ago.

Once he was comfortable, his gaze looked towards the door where Athena still stood with an upset look on her face. What was she waiting for? Was she expecting something? Marshall couldn't figure out his adopted mother at all.

"Are you going to invite me in?" she finally asked, her voice quivering slightly.

"By all means, please come in," Marshall answered slowly, trying to stay polite.

Athena walked in slowly, trying not to startle Marshall. Her movement gentle and fluid and filled with grace and simple elegance. Her eyes were pointed at the floor in front of her, making sure to take each step carefully.

"Well, what can this sad excuse for a pup do for you today?" Marshall asked as she got closer.

Athena halted in her tracks and snapped her muzzle at him. "Really? That's how you're going to be, huh? I just came down here for a decent conversation, not a pity party." Her quivered voice changed to something more stern and kind of scolding.

Marshall frowned regretfully, this new behavior felt odd and wrong to him. "I'm sorry," he whispered kindly. "I've just been receiving the sharp end of the sword these past couple days. Guess you can say I'm a little edgy."

"No, I get it," Athena murmured. "I guess that's what happens when you lie to your friends and family about hurting someone so badly that you caused many broken bones, amnesia, and paralysis. But I guess you know that already."

"I guess so," added Marshall. "Can I ask why you're really here? If you wanted to have a decent conversation, you'd have done it sooner than now."

"Look at you, Mr. Detective," she half smiled. "Guess you did learn a few things from me and Tracer after all. I knew you would eventually."

Hearing the name of his adopted father left a bad taste in his mouth that he didn't enjoy at all. He knew that Tracer was only mad at him for threatening the life of his only biological son. Could Marshall blame him? But it pained him to see the once caring and gentle father figure he grew up loving turn on him like he was a terrorist. Despite the sudden hostility, Marshall still loved Tracer like a father.

"Speaking of which, where is Tracer?" Marshall asked curiously. "I want to say sorry for scaring him like I did. For nearly killing Chase and then lying about it to save my own skin, but I don't think he'd have me in his company."

He choked down his sadness as best he could, but it was hard to do. Sounding genuine seemed like such an incredible feat to accomplish.

Athena sighed. "After the events that happened a few days ago, he told me that he despised the mere thought of even looking at you, let alone standing in the same room or breathing the same air. In other words, he's not taking the news very well. You really made him upset, Marshall. He has spent every spare moment with Chase."

"I figured as much," Marshall whimpered sadly. _I wish I could see Chase!_

"Did you expect any less from him?" Athena asked rhetorically. "Sure he takes things seriously, but that's not necessarily a bad thing when it comes to family. Especially his children. And yes, I mean you as well."

"I'm not his child though, Athena," Marshall argued. "I never was and surely never will be now." A tear trickled effortlessly down his cheek as he sniffed and did his best to not start crying, but emotions were high enough to see the curvature of the Earth. "He hates me!"

Athena could see the dismal rolling into Marshall's eyes and body and motherly instincts naturally kicked in and she was on him like wet on water. She held him in embrace and gently rocked back and forth with him crying into her chest.

"Shhhh," she whispered softly to him. "Just listen, okay?"

Marshall nodded and continued to cry, letting his emotions take over and allowing it all to come out.

"Okay," Athena breathed. "Tracer loves you Marshall! He really does! You are one of the highlights of his life. It's just that, he hopes his act of aggression will bring back who you used to be. It scares him to see one of his babies act out of the ordinary. He wants the old Marshall back. The one that he adopted and brought into his home and called him son and loved him as an equal third child."

The Dalmatian pup didn't know what to say. How could Tracer still have a positive feeling towards him? But Athena continued to speak before he could ask her.

"And…..I know it seems odd that I am siding with you on this and it is hard for the others to understand as well. The reason why is because, even though you and I may not be family by blood, you're still my child regardless. It's just hard for me to forgive your actions, but I will never stop loving you. It will be tough when Chase eventually learns the news, but we can help make it easier on him."

Hearing those words seemed to relax Marshall to a more stable state. He wiped his eyes and sniffed his nose. "I love you too and I love Chase as well. He's my brother and I hurt him badly. It's just…,"

"Difficult?"

He nodded. "I wanted to tell Ryder the truth from the very beginning, but I was just so scared and lost at the time that I didn't want to open my mouth. I've wanted to let Chase know the truth, but I fear that I might lose him forever if I did."

"He will take it negatively, he will be frightened just by looking at you, and he is going to feel a little vulnerable knowing that he got hurt from an attack, not an accident," Athena blurted. "But I think, if you work really hard to achieve the rest of the team's trust, you can easily regain Chase's."

Marshall knew she was right, but he also knew that her idea would cost him an arm and a leg to accomplish. Yet, the idea of having everything back to the way it was overwhelmed any thought of difficulty or challenge.

"Just promise me one thing," she sniffed.

"Okay," Marshall whispered.

"No matter what the others think of you, always be strong and work hard to go back to the pup we all knew and loved. Can you do that for me?"

"Shouldn't be hard for me," Marshall quipped.

He started to feel a little better than he used to. Athena was good at being his mother and he couldn't have survived life without her. She was his rock.

"If I may ask," Athena sighed. "Why did all of this happen in the first place? I know just by knowing Chase's injuries that he didn't just get them from some petty fight, which you two were prone to doing a lot when you were younger."

Marshall screwed his eyes shut in heart break. He hurt his brother over a little unnecessary hazing, which could have easily been avoided. His teary eyes locked with Athena's and he finally spoke after choking up the courage.

"Chase was….," he paused, unsure as to if he wanted to say more.

"What was he doing?"

"He was being mean to me and saying rude things about something," Marshall generalized, but that clearly wasn't a satisfactory excuse to Athena, just by the look in her eyes.

"If I am going to help you I need to know everything that led up to this sudden outburst," she said, her voice almost interrogating him. She could see the eyes of someone who was trying to hide the important details. "And I think I can guess who was the subject of this argument?"

"Who then?" Marshall demanded, hoping Athena wasn't going to say the name he immediately thought of.

"It was about Everest, wasn't it?"

"What?" Marshall scoffs. "No, it wasn't about Everest." _Damn it!_

"Alright, I'll bite," Athena shrugs. "Who was it about then?"

"It was about Skye," Marshall answered quickly, trying to sound honest.

Athena smirked and shook her head. "No, it wasn't about Skye either. Your eyes are where the truth is held. Remember, I was a cop. I'm good at this sort of thing. I'll get the information out of you somehow. So let's start over. Was it about….Everest?"

She was good! Marshall was impressed and rather intimidated by her ability to sniff out the truth. Feeling already guilty enough for hiding enough details, he finally decided to spill the beans. "Okay! Okay! You're right…it was about Everest!"

"Alright, now we're getting somewhere," she said enthusiastically. "Now, what exactly did Chase say? Don't worry, I'm not going to get mad at him. He's been through enough as it is. And I'm not really interested in playing the mean mom card on him."

 _I hope she doesn't play it on me!_

Marshall remember everything that Chase had said to him. He didn't want to rat out his brother, but he knew that Athena wouldn't let him off that easily if he didn't give her some type of answer. All the harsh and discouraging things Chase said to him on that horrible day echoed in his mind.

"But I didn't say very nice things back," Marshall cried.

"I just want to know what Chase said," the female German Shepherd requested. "Your actions speak louder than you words in this case."

Marshall began to repeat off the things that Chase said to him before he started to attack him. The things that Chase said to Marshall frightened Athena. "You're being overly sensitive over something you might not even accomplish. I highly doubt she is interest in a clumsy pup like yourself."

"Don't play coy with me Marshall. You've been a clumsy pup ever since I met you. Probably clumsy in the womb too."

The look of horror and disappointment on his adopted mothers face petrified him that he almost didn't want to say more. But he could also tell that she needed to hear all of it, so he continued. "First it was like, now it's love? If you 'love' her so much. Tell her how you feel. If my thoughts are correct, she'll turn you down and I'll be right."

"Come find me when you're done pouting," finished Marshall. "That was the last thing he said to me before I…before I..I-I….attacked him. I don't know what happened to me. Like….all the rage that I've collected over the years and I finally hit my breaking point. I broke him down like he was a Jenga tower."

Athena had to hop off of the bed and pace around the room a few times while mumbling words under her breath and shaking her head with disbelief. Her child got his tail handed to him for being a punk and treating his family like trash. That wasn't the child that she raised!

"Athena?" Marshall mumbled, but she didn't even perk her ears to the sound of his voice.

"Athena?" he said a little more loudly, thinking she may not have heard him.

She still wasn't being responsive to him!

"Mom?" Marshall whispered.

The distraught mother finally stopped in her tracks and looked over at her adopted, spotted son. Her face and eyes revealed her thoughts and emotions. She was clearly upset, afraid, angry, disappointed, and lost. With a lick of her lips, she opened her mouth to speak.

"He said those things to you?" she croaked, tears forming rapidly. "Where did I go wrong? What did I do to make him act that way?"

"You didn't do anything wrong," Marshall reassured. "You raised us like normal children. With all the love and care that a parent should have. Even with a punishment, you did it because you cared. There hasn't been an instance where you went wrong with Chase and I. You were made for parenting."

Before Athena could respond, there was another knock at the door, which made Athena snap her muzzle shut. They both stared at the door for a solid fifteen seconds before there was another series of knocking. This time it sounded desperate!

"It's open," Athena shouted clearly, wiping the tears away from her cheeks. "You can come in."

The door handle clicked, turned, and opened all in a flash and the brown haired head of Ryder snuck its way in. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"No, it's okay," Athena half smiled. "Please come in."

Ryder entered and shut the door gently behind him.

"What's happening? What do you need?" Marshall asked quietly, avoiding eye contact with the boy.

"I came to deliver your punishment," Ryder answered quickly. "And it's going to be tough, but very beneficial for us all. The end result is going to hopefully have us back to normal in no time."

"Okay," Marshall said, seeming somewhat intrigued. "What's my punishment? I told you that I accept whatever you have to give to me."

"I know you did, and I appreciate your understanding, but it had no influence in my decision making," Ryder remarked. "Your attack on Chase has everyone scared and a little on edge and I realize that the others have been coming down here to say mean things to you. You want to know why?"

"Why, Ryder?" asked Athena. "Because based on little side conversations between the others that I've eavesdropped on, I know that they were very rude and harsh."

"Why didn't you stop them? Did you want me to be verbally abused or something?"

Ryder sighed. "There's no easy way for me to say this but….it was because I sent them to do it as a test! And you passed."

* * *

 **A/N: And that ladies and gentlemen is what I call a cliffhanger! I'm sorry for not updating a lot as I said I would, but here I am. I have approximately two months to finish the story. If you read the beginning Author Note, you'll know what I mean by that.**

 **Anyway, I have a question for all of you. Feel free to answer, but also feel free to ignore it. I can't force your hand, so why should the question. Here it is:**

 **WHAT KIND OF PUNISHMENT DO YOU THINK RYDER IS GOING TO GIVE MARSHALL?**

 **That's all for today! Thanks for reading! See you in the next one!**

 **Atlas FF out!**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Okay, enough is frankly enough! I have been too quiet about this for a while and to be honest I am getting sick and tired of seeing these worthless five year olds coming onto the fandom and making attempts at insulting me and my fellow writers. They know my name and countless, by the way, the reviews on this story that have the name Brayden Welton, yours truly, don't scare me! It is hypocritical that I delete them when I see them because frankly I don't need people stalking into my personal life. And yes, Brayden Welton is my actual name! But please don't look me up or try to add me on social media because I will NOT accept anything.**

 **When it comes to things I actually care about, I prefer to stand up to the wolves instead of cowering in the herds of sheep. My parents raised a sheepdog. And yes, I will become a US Marine regardless because all the negativity makes me want to prove you all wrong even more because I love my country no matter what others say and the Corps deserves my appreciation and patriotism. It's my fuel and I am going to make an easy run through boot camp with it. So jokes on you! I have loads of other things to say, but I will save you the pain and not say anything else on the matter.**

 **Sorry for taking up so much of your time, but I'd rather say this in an Author note than make a new story about ranting and stuff. I know I said cliffhanger in the last chapter, but after reading it, I kinda realized that it wasn't necessarily a cliffhanger. More like a reason to want to read the next chapter to find answers. Anyway, I am done with my bantering and I hope you guys can understand why I did this. PM or review if you are confused or just want to rant to me, because this is the field where I grow my fucks, and you shall notice that it is barren.**

 **Thanks for your time! Let's do this thing!**

 **Welcome to Chapter 21 of Hearts of Ice and Fire!**

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 ** _"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." -John F. Kennedy_**

* * *

Has there ever been a moment in your life where you were so confused by something that everything around didn't have the same usual feel? Like you lose sense of your surroundings and you begin to question everything up to your actual existence. Why am I here? What's my purpose? Those kinds of questions. But what if that confusion began with something that someone you trusted told you?

"There's no easy way for me to say this but….it was because I sent them to do it as a test! And you passed."

Marshall had to play those over and over again in his head just understand the point of it all. And he started to ask himself all sorts of questions with no clue as to how he was even going to answer them.

 _Why did Ryder do this?_

 _What was the point of it all?_

 _Does he even care about me anymore?_

 _What kind of test was that?_

But what was really upsetting was that the young boy that he grew up to know and love had deliberately sent the other pups at him to insult him and make rude comments. Who does that to someone? Especially his own pup?

"Why?" Marshall croaked, shedding a stream of tears.

"I wanted to see if you maybe you'd snap or get angry at the others," Ryder answered, trying to keep his voice steady. "But not once did you have any sort of harsh attitude towards them. You just let it happen, which stunned me."

"What do you mean it stunned you?" Marshall snapped. "Did you want me to snap and hurt someone else? If so, you're going to have to try harder than that. I've been wanting to change since I hurt Chase! I don't ever want to be in the wrong again."

"And you don't have to be wrong again, Marshall," Ryder said. "I just needed to see where I would have to focus my time. I can tell you that rebuilding trust between all of us is one of them."

"Good luck with that," Marshall scoffed. "I doubt the others believe I can change. Not after the things they said to me."

"I provided them with the content and they broadcasted it to you," Ryder admitted regretfully. "Except for Rocky sadly. His comments were actually genuine and his own. The others are more scared and upset with you than they are angry."

"Did you ever once consider what you were actually doing to me? I've got the urge to rip your throat out," Marshall growled, as he stood up and hopped off the bed and approached Ryder. Athena intercepted him before he got close. "What are you doing? Get out of my way!"

"I know you're upset with Ryder and you have every right to be, but you will not share your grievances by resorting to violence. Not after all that you have done to Chase and this team," Athena murmured softly.

"Oh yeah! What makes you think I won't attack you right now?"

"Because you're hurt on the inside Marshall," Athena whispered. "And you want nothing more than making amends for your actions. After seeing what sort of things happen when you get angry with others, you can't bear to see something like that happen to someone else. And you wouldn't want to hurt your mother would you?"

"I never wanted to hurt you Marshall," Ryder said. "In fact, I had hoped this whole idea was going to be a little more peaceful, but I was wrong and I see that now. But you have to remember that this is what we all went through when Chase got hurt."

"Really? People came up to you and belittled you, broke you down, treated you like dirt, and cursed you so much even sailors were shocked?" Marshall snapped.

"What Ryder means is that they went through the same pain that you felt when the other pups made mean comments," Athena reassured. "They wanted you to feel what they were feeling."

"Like I didn't know what they were feeling," Marshall scoffed. "I know exactly what they felt! Someone who was very close to them nearly died after someone they trusted attacked him. I know this feeling very well. When my biological mother died, you know what I went through."

"Your mother died of natural causes, not brutal attacks by someone they knew and loved," Ryder pointed out, receiving a kick from Athena. "Ow…..but you also have a point. This isn't your first rodeo."

Marshall looked down in pure shame and let the tears drip onto the carpeted floors. "I really wish that I had died when my mom was gone. None of this would've happened and Chase would still have his legs."

"Don't talk like that," Athena demanded, trying to keep her emotions together. "How long would Chase have lasted if he knew that you were gone forever, huh? A day? A week? A month? A year?"

"I don't know," Marshall whispered.

"But I do," Athena added. "He wouldn't have wanted to live a second more if he knew that his best friend and brother had died. The same goes for you. Not that I support that idea, but I know that's what either one of you would've done in that situation. You remember what happened after we found you practically on your death bed."

"Sadly," Marshall murmured, recollecting the events of the past.

Athena had dealt with this kind of situation before. Back when Marshall's biological mother had died from a heart attack a little over a year prior, Marshall never left his pup house for nearly three days. But there was more to it than that.

When they found Marshall, he was dehydrated and he looked like he hadn't eaten since the day he was born. But it was Chase who had found him, which Ryder wished had never happened because Chase went missing for five days. No where to be seen, no where to be found. And when they found him, it was an even worse situation than Marshall.

The foolish German Shepherd pup had taken his police truck off the beaten path and wrecked. No food. No water. And to top it all off, his truck and pup tag were broken beyond belief. His shoulder was dislocated and he twisted a paw. By the time the team found him, he had dragged himself only thirty yards.

It took three weeks for Chase to get a clean bill of health from the hospital due to his injuries both physically and mentally. Marshall helped with the final stages of recovery and he helped bring back the Chase that he grew up with. The one he loved and cared about.

"You see now," Athena said. "Chase was scared that you were going to die that he went out and nearly got himself killed. He cares about you Marshall and I know you do to."

"It's kind of hard to care about someone if you're forbidden from coming near them," Marshall huffed, eyeballing Ryder with a look of disgust.

"You know for damn sure why you can't go near him!" Athena snapped at him.

Marshall cowered in fear when she snapped. It wasn't like her to get angry with him, but in a way he kind of could see why she did it. He looked over at Ryder.

Ryder took to his knees and look the spotted pup in the eye. "There is something that I still need to share with you about your punishment. I won't be sharing it down here. I actually plan on sharing it with the whole team up in the control room."

Marshall hadn't of thought of what is punishment might be, but he knew that it wasn't going to be good. Hurting a family member doesn't exactly make it easier on the punisher, but it has to be done if anything is going to change. And Marshall knew that. He didn't want to know it, but it wasn't something that he could just lock away forever and pretend it didn't exist.

"Then what are we waiting for? There's nothing I can do except for accept whatever punishment you have to give me. You know that I won't try to bargain or something."

"Smart words coming from someone who made the biggest, most foolish mistake of their life," Ryder smirked. "Let's go."

They left the room in a hurry and made their up the elevator with their destination in mind, the control room.

Marshall pondered over what might happen next, knowing that the others were bound to be there waiting for them. In his mind, he was kind a hoping it would breeze right over. He'd get his punishment, no questions asked, and they'd go from there. But there were multiple scenarios that he played in his mind that he really wished that he hadn't of conceived in his mind in the first place.

He thought that the others would take turns beating him up, giving him similar injuries to Chase before Ryder eventually just euthanized him right on the spot. Maybe he'd get sent to some prison-like facility to receive some form of 'treatment'. Or maybe he wouldn't get any punishment at all and he'd have to live the rest of his life as a bad pup knowing that he hurt someone so badly that they can no longer walk, run, or even play. He'd suffer and live with the fact that he destroyed someone's life forever.

Regardless, he was prepared to accept his punishment. The elevator was at the control room in a matter of seconds and the doors hissed open allowing them to exit, which Marshall stopped the moment he steeped out of the elevator to survey the scene ahead.

The other pups stood in a row off to the side. They all glared at him with disappointed gazes, but kept their muzzles locked; probably a good thing given the circumstances. Tracer was directly across from them looking towards the ground. A small puddle of tears accumulating at his feet. Athena took her place right next to him and Ryder walked directly ahead and about faced making him look directly at Marshall.

"Come forth," Ryder ordered.

Marshall shivered and shook as he walked. He tried to make eye contact with the others, but it didn't last long. The spotted pup couldn't even look Everest in the eye, whose eyes were welling up with tears. She was scared! All of them were, but Everest was probably the most scared of all.

He stopped when he was about ten feet from Ryder. Rocky growled to his left and his adopted parents were doing their best to keep cool and collected. With a nod of his head at Ryder, he spoke. "I'm ready to accept my punishment for the actions that I have committed."

"Very well, but first," Ryder spoke. "I'd like to hear what a few of the pups have to say. I told them that if they had any problems with you or any questions that they'd like to ask, that they should wait until this moment."

Marshall shrugged. "I guess I don't have choice, now do I?"

"No," Rocky hissed, standing on all fours. "You don't! Not after the crap you pulled!"

"Rocky!" Ryder silenced him with a stern voice. "I get that you are angry, however, you will wait your turn. Zuma? Is there anything that you'd like to say?"

All eyes turned on the chocolate lab, who shuddered from the multiple faces looking at him. But he took a deep breath and looked directly into Marshall's eyes. "I don't weally know how I am supposed to put the things that I am feeling into wowds. Chase getting huwt was really scawy for us. And now that we know that you did it, how awe we supposed to twust you with being a membew of this team anymowe. I'm sowwy, but I don't want you hewe anymowe."

"Thanks Zuma," Ryder said to the pup. "Rubble? Any words?"

The bulldog pup looked scared and seemed only half aware of what was really going on. He shook his head. "I don't have anything. Only that I am upset with Marshall."

"Skye?" Ryder asked

Skye dipped her head. "Marshall, when I first joined this team, you were the first pup that I met, Chase followed shortly after. I was so scared and shy at the time that I almost thought about quitting that same day I arrived. But you reassured me that being apart of this team, this family, that I would start to enjoy life here and you were right. I have enjoyed every second since, but now I can't walk five feet without looking over my shoulder because I don't feel that sense of security anymore. And that's because of what you did to Chase." She stepped back with tears filling her eyes and mucus filling her nose.

"R-Rocky?" Ryder asked, his voice filled with grief.

Marshall winced at the sound of the mix-breed's name. _This isn't going to be good!_

"Oh, I have plenty of words to say to him, but I'll try to make it brief. For Marshall's sake and yours, Ryder," Rocky said, cracking his neck. "I'm going to start with a big, fat 'I told you so'. I assumed it was Marshall from the very beginning and you all called me a fool. Well guess what? It turns out my little hunch was actually correct the whole time and this worthless carcass turned out to be the culprit and a liar. Who knew that someone that we've worked with side-by-side for years would actually have the nerve to attack one of us and then lie to save their own skin?"

Marshall turned his whole body to look at Rocky head on. He was going to take this as best as he could. _Hopefully Ryder stops this before it gets out of hand._

"Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"

"What do you want me to say?" Marshall said calmly.

"The truth about everything because as far as I know, you've lied about everything that you've said to me, to the other pups, to Ryder and Chase's parents. How can we have any reason to believe that you can tell the truth from now on?"

"You don't have to believe me, but they're my parents too!"

"Not after this they won't be," Rocky spat. "How could they still want to be related to a criminal like yourself? I know I wouldn't want to. So what do you really have to live for?"

"Rocky!" Ryder exclaimed. "You're getting out of line."

"Even after we find out that Marshall hurt Chase, you still defend him regardless of what he did," Rocky growled. "It's like you don't want to believe that Marshall actually did it. Well guess what? It happened! That traitor nearly killed Chase."

Marshall was starting to get fed up with Rocky's continuous bantering. And he could see that everyone else was too. Which means that while Rocky was getting a point across, he was also making himself look like an absolute fool. I've got to say something!

"I'm not a traitor," Marshall whispered.

"What did you just say?" Rocky demanded.

"I think you heard me. You want to make something of it, mutt?" Marshall stood up with his head held high. "You want to know the truth about the attack? Fine, well here it is. Chase and I were bickering about a girl that I had grown interest in for a while now. He then proceeded to mock me for being clumsy saying that I wouldn't have been good enough for her anyway. And I lost my temper and I attacked him with the fury of a thousand armies. When it was all said and done, I realized that I hurt Chase really bad and I fought to keep him alive. Don't believe me, ask Everest. She witnessed the whole thing."

Everyone looked at the husky pup, standing by the others. She looked ashamed in herself and everything that she stood for. Even after fighting to protect the truth from coming out, it still wasn't enough for Marshall to bring her down with him.

"You witnessed the whole thing and you didn't say anything to Ryder," Rubble said, his voice filled with shock.

"Why didn't you say anything Everest?" Skye asked, comforting her husky friend.

"She must have been in on the whole thing. I knew I couldn't trust her," Rocky sneered.

"It's sad to be in a wowld where evewyone isn't twust wowthy enough to tell the twuth," Zuma croaked.

"But when I confronted her about it, I told her that the same would happen to her if she ratted me out. She played no part in this and she is innocent," Marshall explained, as he walked up to Everest, giving her a wink. "Everest, I want to say that I am sorry that I threatened your safety. I was scared at the time and I still am to this very moment. I hope you can find it in your wonderful heart to forgive me for my sins. If not, I understand."

He could see a gratefulness in her eyes. She may have kept the truth a secret, but Marshall wasn't going to let her be taken down with him. It was his punishment and his alone. Marshall withdrew from her space and returned to his spot. "Ryder, I'm ready to accept my punishment. I said I wouldn't bargain, but I ask just one thing of you."

"What's that Marshall?" Ryder said, his arms crossed in disappointment.

"If it is okay with you, I request that Everest doesn't receive punishment for crimes that I committed. She played no part in the attack and she was forced by myself to keep her mouth shut about it. She shouldn't be dragged down with me. Have mercy on her, please," Marshall explained.

Ryder seemed to ponder it for a second. "Okay, Marshall. Your request is granted. Everest was a victim in all of this and she will have no part in your punishment."

"Thank you, Ryder," Marshall breathed.

"Really? Just like that, you're going to let Everest get away without a single punishment. She defended him from the very beginning," Rocky shouted.

"Rocky, you would be smart to hold your tongue before I decide to slice it out," Tracer said, finally speaking up. "It is Ryder's decision and his decision alone. Your opinion doesn't matter to him. Respect his decision or so help me god I'll punish you myself."

Rocky glared at Tracer for a moment before returning to his seat, holding back the urge to speak more on the matter. He was smart to not let more nonsense slip out of his lips.

Thank you, Tracer! Marshall said to himself.

"Marshall," Ryder said, getting the attention of the Dalmatian. "Over the past few days, I have contemplated every single possible punishment that you could have thought of and some of them were pretty cruel. I've thought of puppy jail and a boot camp, but I decided against those because I know that I can fix you myself if you stayed here. But before I reveal your punishment, do you have anything you'd like to say to us?"

Not a second passed before Marshall nodded his head with a bit of enthusiasm. "I do," he said, turning to look at the team. "I know that you have many things to say about me and I am more than prepared to receive them. I know that Ryder sent you guys to say the things you said to me over the past couple days and I know he gave you the words. I will say I was upset, but because of my actions, I knew that I had to power through it. I regret everything that happened before and after Chase getting injured. I overreacted and that overreaction nearly killed Chase. We nearly lost him multiple times because of me. And I have to live with that for the rest of my life. I want you to know that I really want to change and I can prove that to you if you would be willing enough to give me a second chance. I'm truly sorry and ashamed in my actions that I lost the will to live the moment I committed them. I don't know how long I will last with this team because I don't know if you will accept me anymore. I just want you to know that I truly and purely from the bottom of whatever heart that I have left don't have any hard feelings towards any of you. You've been my family and I let my family down."

Marshall turned his attention to Athena and Tracer, who had approached him. He immediately looked down in both fear and shame. The fear of Tracer and the shame of looking either of them in the eye. "When my mother died and my father abandoned me, you two took me into your home and treated me as one of your own and I am more than grateful for everything that you've done for me. But when I called you to tell you about Chase, I….," He was beginning to drift off, losing his focus.

"What did you do?" asked Athena softly.

"I had the nerve to look you two right in the eyes like I had done nothing wrong," Marshall admitted. "I lied right to your faces and it has been haunting me ever since. The look of pain and sadness and anger that I saw in your eyes has been cemented in my mind. I failed Chase and I failed you." He sensed the presence of someone looking down on him and when he looked up, he saw German Shepherd paws.

But they weren't Athena's.

They were Tracer's!

Marshall looked directly up at Tracer, being sure to keep his head down. He didn't want to provoke a challenge. Tracer leaned down and looked Marshall in the eyes.

"When Athena and I brought you into our home, I was the happiest dog in the town. I was at your birthing and I watched you grow into a wonderful and truly handsome young pup. Were you a troublemaker? Hell yeah you were. Did I punish you for it? Damn Skippy. But through all the trouble you caused, it shaped you into a better rescuer and friend. Athena said I was only getting mad at you because I wanted to see if I could change you back, because your my buddy. I care about you and I want you to be better than you are now. Sure I am disappointed that you hurt Chase, but I am proud of you for excepting the fact that you did wrong and that you are willing to accept any punishment. In my opinion, you're already better than you were days ago when the truth came out." His eyes were watery as he withdrew back to Athena.

Marshall looked at Ryder, his eyes as wet as the ocean. "I'm ready to receive my punishment."

"Very well," Ryder said, pulling out a piece of paper. "For the actions that you have committed that left our beloved police pup horribly injured, I have decided that you as well as Rocky will find a way to get Chase back on his feet again. I am willing to fund the technology and resources to make this happen by any means necessary. Until Chase returns to his feet, I have employed three temporary replacement specialists for the time being for the following positions: Police officer, Firefighter, and Recycling. If Chase does not return to his feet, Chase, Marshall and Rocky will be permanently removed from PAW Patrol. Do you accept the terms of this punishment?"

Marshall took one look at Rocky, whose face said it all. This wasn't fair to him. Why should I get punished for something I didn't commit? That was the question that Marshall assumed was circling through Rocky's mind. But the mix-breed didn't argue with Ryder or snap at Marshall.

He dipped his head.

"We accept, Ryder," Marshall said, returning a friendly dip of the head.

Ryder smiled at the both of them. "Then I suggest you two get to work. You have free roam over any technology you need. Good luck to you."

* * *

 **A/N: Well there we go! The terms of the punishment have been revealed. Was it what you were expecting or did it come as a shock? Sorry for the long wait, been busy lately, but no more. I've recently quit my job and officially have more time in the world to write chapters.**

 **I made a decision recently. I will only be updating this story. Any other uncompleted story will have to wait. I hate to do it, but I don't have any idea what I want to do about them. That is all.**

 **FYI, if you plan to leave a mean comment, please make it as long as you can. Like I said in the opening Author note, they are my fuel. Don't believe me? Well sucks for you now doesn't it, because I frankly don't give a damn.**

 **Thanks for being great people! It helps a lot and I know that I can continue to provide great content for you. See you in the next one!**

 **Atlas FF out!**


	22. The Golden Ticket

It had only been a two weeks since Marshall has received his punishment from Ryder. The spotted pup was given the task of getting Chase back up on his feet and back to his old self again. But like all tasks or punishments, there was usually a catch to it all. This one being that if Marshall failed, he was going to be off the team for good. Despite his actions that got him to this point, the last thing the Dalmatian pup wanted to do was fail. If he did, he wouldn't just be failing himself. He'd be failing his adopted family, Chase, and the rest of the team. But to add a little more icing on the already complicated cake, Ryder added one more aspect to his punishment.

He had to accomplish it against the one pup that had him figured out all along. That pup being the Eco and Recycling pup, Rocky.

The first day for Marshall was a real doozy working with Rocky. It seemed like Rocky wanted everything that Marshall wanted, except for the part where he got to stay on the team after they were done. But could Marshall really blame him? He did in fact lie to not just Ryder's face, but to Rocky's face as well. The mix-breed still felt betrayed by Marshall, whom he had put his trust and faith in right before they got to meet Chase after the Shepherd woke up.

But Ryder put an end to it when he threatened Rocky with his position on the team, which was currently being occupied by a temporary replacement. Maybe even a permanent replacement if they didn't get Chase up and walking again. And it wasn't just Rocky's position that was being filled. Marshall's job and Chase's spot were also being filled, which they understood right from the get go. They were finally told the ingenuity behind having their jobs temporarily taken over which was actually really smart. Their jobs were taken so that they could focus on fixing Chase without the hassle of being taken out on a mission or rescue.

Although Marshall was supposed to fix Chase, he had decided against visiting with him to keep Rocky's hostile comments at bay and to let his mind ease little bits at a time. Chase still hadn't been informed of what had ensued over the past two weeks. It felt like a knot in Marshall's stomach every time Rocky told Chase that he was busy with other things. Chase actually missed Marshall's company. But Marshall just wasn't ready to give it to his injured Shepherd friend.

Or was he?

They had spent the first week brainstorming ideas for what they could do for Chase's spinal injury. Most of them involved a type of mechanical brace that attached to the spine, but their designs that came the following week all made the brace look big and bulky. Their goal was to have something light, durable, and tight to the body that when Chase was running or playing, he wouldn't notice the brace.

But things just weren't in their favor from the very beginning.

They had set up shop in the tech lab located on the first sub level of the Lookout. It was where Ryder had designed and created all of their gadgets and vehicles. And it was where they planned on fabricating the prototype braces. And for testing reasons, Chase had been moved to the loft in the tech lab where someone could sleep after a hard days work of studying. And that's where the three pups had been ever since.

Marshall looked up the stairs that led up the loft. His mind drifted to imagine Chase laying in the side bedroom at the top of those stairs. He figured the paralyzed police pup was either sleeping or moving around on his front legs dragging his lifeless back legs. The spotted pup longed to see Chase, but now with his secret out, the only thing that Marshall saw himself doing was somehow managing to hurt Chase again.

He sighed dreadfully. "I'll muster up the courage to see him someday, but that day won't be today." As he spoke, he turned to see Rocky staring at him with a semi-hostile glare. "Whatever you have to say, say it quickly. There are more important matters to attend to."

"I wasn't going to say anything mean to you. Ryder already threatened me with my job once and I'm not going to risk it even more by saying a petty comment to you," Rocky whispered. "I actually wanted to talk to you about something. Would it be alright if we sat down over in the break area? It shouldn't be but a few minutes."

"Yeah, that's fine with me," Marshall breathed, walking over to the break area and taking a seat on one of the couches. "So what did you want to talk about? Designs? Prototypes? A game plan?"

"I actually was wondering if we can talk about that day," the grey pup answered, taking a seat adjacent to Marshall.

"The day I hurt Chase?" Marshall assumed.

Rocky nodded. "Yeah, preferably that one."

Marshall shifted uncomfortably. "I don't really like the idea of talking about it, but I don't see how sharing details can hurt. So I guess we can talk about it for a bit as long as it doesn't get to the point where we can't continue to work on this task. Deal?"

"Deal," Rocky said instantly. "The truth already came out and I've already had my fit of being angry with you. But I will let you know now that I am without a doubt in no position to start rebuilding my trust with you. Maybe some other day or week or month or year, but at this very moment. You are untrustworthy in my eyes. Shedding some more light on that day might help begin digging my new foundation.

Marshall shrugged. "Fair enough. If it is all the same, I'm in no position to argue with that."

"Also, I know I was a bit brash when Ryder gave you this 'punishment', but I want you to understand that you lied to me when we were outside Katie's clinic and I was upset that you had already stabbed me in the back before I even put my faith and trust in you."

"I know I lied to you that day and I've regretted it since then," Marshall said. "I was worried that the truth was going to come out at any given point and I was scared to say in front of you guys."

"Well, you did tell us two weeks ago, which is a start, but you were very brief about the day in question," Rocky pressed. "You spent more time apologizing to myself, the rest of the pups, Ryder, as well as Tracer and Athena. Why is that?"

"Because I did things to Chase on that day that would have traumatized everyone if they were shared. So I purposely didn't share many details because they were so graphic and horrifying that I was frightened to even think about them," Marshall explained.

Rocky proceeded to look at the dally with pleading puppy eyes.

"You seriously want to know more about it, huh?"

The mix nodded his head. "But one quick question? You mentioned that you two were fighting over a girl that you had a particular interest in. Was that girl…Everest? I'm only asking because you two were really close during this whole ordeal, despite you threatening her and stuff."

"I didn't threaten her, Rocky," Marshall sighed. "That's another lie that I've made. She watched me hurt Chase and confronted me about it. And she said that she wanted me to prove myself before she would help keep it all a secret."

"And did you?"

"Was she the one that told Ryder about the attack?"

"No, it was Katie," Rocky answered quickly.

"Then there is your answer," Marshall huffed. "And yes, Everest was who we were arguing over before I attacked him. Happy now?"

"Yep," Rocky mouthed. "But we don't have to talk about that anymore. Whenever you are ready, I'd like to hear exactly what you did to Chase."

Marshall felt cornered with no escape in sight. He could lung at Rocky and knock him over then run for the door. Or he had the opportunity to tell another lie and make it sound like he was the only factor in the attack. _NO! No more lies!_ So while fighting back his tears, he began to recollect the event into words.

"Chase was done arguing with me and began to walk away. At that moment, something inside of me just snapped and I charged him like linebacker on a football field. I took him to the ground and proceeded to kick him in the chest and gut, but I didn't break his ribs just yet. My mind wanted him to suffer for all the things he said to me, so I kept him alive….barely enough to torture him. Still want to know more? You're looking a little pale."

Rocky was in complete and utter shock. "That explains the bruising and why you became defensive when I accused you of committing the crime, b-but what about the amnesia and paralysis and his broken paw?"

Marshall couldn't comprehend how Rocky still wanted to know more. Just telling the first little part of the attack must have been a scary, but not enough to disinterest him. "I took his scruff into my mouth and dragged him over to his own pup house. I shoved his legs inside the door and I….."

"You used the hydraulics in the door mechanism to break his spine from the hips down," Rocky figured out. "Why did you take it that far?"

"Because it wasn't the real Marshall that hurt Chase," Marshall mumbled. "It was the monster inside me that did it. I never realized what I had done until it was already over with. But I can remember it all. The things I did, the things that I said to him, and me begging for him to be okay."

"You actually felt remorseful for what you did to him?" Rocky asked confusedly.

"I've said on multiple occasions that I regretted my actions not a second after I was done doing them," Marshall defended.

"Yeah I know that you did. It's just after hearing some of these details, I'm surprised you changed so quickly from a little kids nightmare to an angel begging for forgiveness," Rocky added. "But what about his amnesia and broken ribs and paw?"

"Well, I slammed his head multiple times on the ground, kicked him in the gut and chest until his ribs cracked under my paws, and I don't know how he managed to break his paw, but it twisted backwards and snapped it," Marshall explained with a shudder. "Ryder came out to find me with him half dead on the concrete. With the amount of pain he was in, I contemplated ending Chase's suffering right then and there. It was hard to play that charade. Now, to be honest, I'm glad the truth came out. "

"I think everyone is happy to finally have some closure on the incident. Maybe not the kind of closure they were looking for, but any new facts help," Rocky guessed. "But I am glad that you decided not to end Chase's suffering. I don't know what we would do without him. In fact, when you put forth the effort to keep him alive, that's when I started to believe that you didn't do it."

"But you were wrong yet again, right?" Marshall said, speaking what he assumed the mix was going to say next.

"Yeah," Rocky nodded. "You don't have to tell me about this anymore. I've heard enough of it for an entire life time. And this wasn't what I really wanted to talk to you about, but the opportunity aroused so I took it."

"It was worth it though. I've wanted to get that off my chest for a while and you helped by asking," Marshall admitted. "You said you weren't planning on talking about this, so what exactly were you planning on telling me?"

"I actually wanted to run a new design by you and hear your thoughts on it. It's over on the simulation screen if you want to come watch it," Rocky said, hoping off of the chair. "I have a good feeling about this one."

"That's what you said about the other designs," Marshall chuckled, jumping off of the couch. "What makes you so sure this one will be our golden ticket?"

"Just trust me, okay?" Rocky reassured.

Marshall perked his ears in interest, but also skepticism. "Okay, I guess seeing yet another design simulation can't hurt. What number are we on now? Ten failed designs, is it?" He walked slowly towards the simulation screen on the opposite side of the laboratory.

"I can't honestly remember off the top of my head, but according to the counter on the screen," Rocky said, squinting his eyes to see the small digits on the lower right hand corner of the large screen. "It looks like we are on simulation nine."

Marshall looked closely at the design that his companion came up with and tilted his head with a bit of hopefulness. Not a bad design, Rocky!

Unlike the previous eight ideas they had thrown together, the design looked much sleeker and lighter. They had decided to use carbon fiber due to its high strength and low weight. Any joints they needed would be made from high grade aluminum alloy because of its durability. This brace incorporated all of those things and blended them all together perfectly.

The brace was already attached to a computer generated model of the police pup to give them a basic idea of what the piece of equipment was going to look like while it was worn, so that they could make tweaks and adjustments later. Any red marks on the digitalized design were areas that were going to likely cause discomfort for Chase.

But Marshall noticed something different with this brace design in comparison to the precious ones. "What's that strip running up and down his spine?" he pointed out, highlighting the area of interest. "I thought we we're making a brace, not a suit of armor."

"Yeah, that's the one part I figured you wouldn't like with this idea," Rocky said. "I believe that strip is the ticket to getting Chase up on all fours again."

"What makes you so certain? Why is this one making you seem overly confident?"

"Because unlike the other ones, this one would be surgically implanted. Not the entire thing, just the carbon fiber strip. The brace would then attach to the strip and so on and so forth," Rocky presented.

"You want to surgically implant the brace on him?" Marshall questioned. "What if we need to take it off to modify it or change it, then what do we do?"

"Don't worry," Rocky reassured. "I've actually thought this one through. Why I am surgically implanting the strip is because it is the only thing that will actually stay on Chase for the rest of his life. The leg braces are for his physical therapy. When he gets the hang of walking, we remove the braces and he'll be back to normal."

"Unlike the other designs where the entire brace was permeant," Marshall realized. "I'm tracking with you now. What else?"

"Then there is the best part of this design. Know what I am talking about?"

"The spinal implant," Marshall breathed.

Rocky acknowledged. "Yep, that little implant. About the size of a USB drive, but a thousand times more powerful. It will re-stimulate the deadened spinal cord and give him feeling again. And with feeling comes the ability to walk. But, despite my confidence and the pure ingenuity, there is one problem with this design?"

"What's the problem with it? It seems legit and completely possible," Marshall questioned. "There couldn't possibly be an issue with this particular design."

"Ah, but the problem is not actually the design itself. The real issue is trying to find someone crazy enough to pull this off successfully," Rocky remarked. "And before you say Katie, consider this. We may have taken Chase there to keep him alive and perform the surgery, but was Katie actually who you originally thought of taking Chase to?"

Marshall didn't even question it as he shook his head. "I thought of about five legitimate doctors that I trusted before I thought about her. But she was the quickest, nearest, and by the far the best option at the time. Had I of tried to go out of town towards Foggy Bottom, where those doctors are, Chase probably would have died."

"Any of those doctors have any experience with spinal surgery?" Rocky wondered.

"Yeah, one of them," Marshall revealed. "I'll contact him if this simulation goes well. Speaking of which, why haven't you started the simulation yet? It takes like ten minutes to complete the thousands of scenarios that it has to process."

Rocky face palmed. "God, why am I so stupid? Well, I guess I wanted to run it by you before…." He started to go on and on about things that Marshall wasn't quite understanding. The mix's speech was slurring and he started speaking in some gibberish.

Marshall took the opportunity to smack Rocky upside the face. "I'm sorry, but I wanted to stop you before you started to completely mental. My opinion doesn't matter if you feel confident that the design will work. Tell Ryder that I hit you because I've lost all care." He expected Rocky to hit back, but that's not what happened.

"Much obliged." The mix stood up straight and looked Marshall right in the eye. "I won't tell Ryder, but don't ever hit me again or I'll do more than hit back. I'll hit back hard enough to put you in a coma for the rest of your days. Get me?"

"Oh yeah, I get you," Marshall responded through squinted eyes.

"And you're wrong to say your opinion doesn't matter. Everyone's opinion matters, no matter how stupid their past actions were. I may seem like I have forgiven you, but in fact, I am no where near the idea of even considering it." As he spoke, he pressed a button on the nearby console. "Simulation has begun. Estimated time to completion…..ten minutes."

"I don't expect you to forgive me," Marshall inquired, talking directly into Rocky's ear as he worked. "As long as Chase is back to the way he was, I can live without forgiveness from you, from Ryder, from everyone. Not like I'm going to get it anyway."

"Does that include your adopted parents? What about Everest?" Rocky persisted, turning on Marshall, forcing the spotted pup to take a step back. "If she were here, she'd probably disagree with you. She loves you, Marshall. It isn't that hard to tell. I've seen the way she looks at you with those magnificent ice blue eyes. The same look when you admitted to 'threatening' her. If she hadn't of suffered enough with losing her child, I'd have called you on your bluff and told the whole team everything. She'd forgive you in a heartbeat, wouldn't she?"

"Not after the way I overreacted with how she handled her birthing and taking care of her baby," Marshall admitted. "She did visit me a lot when you and the rest of team were tormenting me, but I could tell just by the look in her eyes that she still despised me. I handled that whole situation wrong. I was too quick to be against her after not fully understanding what she went through."

"You want to know a little secret?" Rocky asked, walking up to Marshall. "Wait! Don't answer that, I will tell you anyway. What if I told you that Everest thinks the exact opposite? Better yet, what if I told you that she told me that she thought you despised her because of not involving you with Sierra's health"

"I would probably call you a liar," Marshall breathed. "Everest kept Sierra a secret for a reason and I guess I have to respect her reason. Regardless, Sierra is still dead."

"That she is, but after you left me and Everest in the basement, she poured her heart out and admitted everything to me," Rocky continued. "She saw how upset you became and she instantly regretted not letting you examine Sierra. Everest started calling herself a fool and she began to hit herself. I pinned her down and held her there until she stopped. You might think that sounds cruel, but believe me, it was the hardest thing that I have ever done. Watching your friend cry themselves to nothing when you just want to hold them and comfort them."

"So why didn't you?"

"Because, Marshall," Rocky said. "The only person that should have the right to comfort her is you."

"Me? Why?"

"Bec-," Rocky began, but was interrupted.

"Because only the ones that I love can truly comfort me back into happiness," a new voice answered.

Rocky looked past Marshall's shoulder and smiled. "Everest! What a pleasant surprise! Oh, would you look at the time? I think I need to go give Chase his meds. I shouldn't be too long, if only I can remember where the meds actually are. And how to remove the stubborn lid, of course," The mix-breed winked at Marshall before disappearing upstairs into Chase's room, slamming the door behind him.

Marshall shook his head with disbelief and a bit of annoyance. "Oh, I am going to kill him." He turned to look at Everest standing there about five feet away from him. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough," Everest answered blankly. "Let me guess, Chase's meds are right next to his bed?"

"Yep," Marshall nodded. "And they aren't even in their bottles. They were put in a pill organizer that Rocky himself designed to be easy for any canine to use without the hassle of needing human hands. He never stopped saying that once he made it."

"He's a bit in love with his abilities, isn't he?"

"That he is," Marshall snickered, but his happiness turned blank as he wished to turn to more important matters. "You said you were standing behind me long enough. What exactly did you hear?"

"I heard the things you said about me and Sierra. Was that true or were you trying to get Rocky off of your back?"

"About as true as the grass is green and the sky is blue," Marshall said poetically. "What I said to you a few floor down was wrong and it wasn't fair of me to snap at you like I did. Believe me, I was upset, but it was rude of me to take it out on you. You made decisions out there that you can't take back and it is my duty as your friend to respect those decisions. For that I am sorry."

"I am sorry too," Everest admitted.

"What is there to be sorry fo-," Marshall started to ask, but was cut short when Everest planted a firm paw across his face. "What was that for?"

"Trust me, I want to do more than that, but that would involve a lot of your blood and you ending up in a coma with two broken legs and a permeant kink in your neck," Everest said, shaking her paw. "And there is plenty to be sorry for."

"And what might that be? But please refrain from hitting me again," Marshall said, shielding his face in case she hit him again.

"I'm sorry that I didn't help from the very beginning. I was so scared at the time and I was afraid you might have hurt me if I got too close to you. When I told you about my love affair with Chase and the baby that we had, I expected it to be taken easier by you, but I was wrong. It was foolish of me at the time for not telling you about her."

"You had every right to keep her to yourself, Everest," Marshall admitted. "If I went and had a child with some girl, I know that I wouldn't want to let the rest of the team know. You would all go crazy to know all the details. I wouldn't be able to handle all that madness that I would actually go mad."

"But you would be able to do check ups on your baby because you have medical experience," Everest countered. "Chase and I didn't know what to do, even after Ryder got involved, we still didn't know what to do."

"It's understandable," Marshall shrugged. "But why did you begin to hit yourself after I left you in the basement? What made it so Rocky had to pin you to the ground until you stopped crying?"

"He pinned me down because I thought that I lost my chance to be with someone that I had grown a strong interest in." Everest walked up to him, until her muzzle was only inches from his, and with the softest and sweetest voice, she whispered. "He pinned me down because I love you Marshall. I have for a long time now and even though you might be the stupidest Dalmatian that I have ever met, you are also the nicest and sweetest that I have ever met."

Marshall smirked. "I love you too, Everest. And even though my love for you is the same reason why I attacked Chase, I can't help but not stop loving you. It has grown stronger with the times we've been together. And I don't know if this is the right time, but I'm going to do it anyway."

With a deep breath, he leaned forward and kissed her on the lips, expecting to get an even harder slap on the face. But what he didn't expect was for her to start kissing back. It caught him off guard once she began pushing against his force, nearly making him stumble. She tasted sweeter than he had imagined and her tongue was a lot fiercer than his. He battled his way into her mouth, exploring every inch of it with his own tongue.

She finally had him under her own command and she quickly pushed him to the ground, but didn't stop kissing him. He belonged to her now just because she was on top and because she was the alpha of the two. "Marshall…..you are such…..a beta male," she chuckled, using whatever breath she had left.

But Marshall wasn't having any of that foreplay as he pushed her over and pinned her to the ground. "Who is the beta now?" he smiled, as he kissed her some more. With his eyes, he looked around and settled them on the simulation screen and from what he could see made him choke. He took to his feet and approached the screen, his face in shock.

"ROCKY! Come here, you have to see this," Marshall shouted.

"What is it, Marshall?" Everest asked.

Marshall looked at her with an excited look and he fought for words, but kept on fumbling them anytime he came close to finally speaking them. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rocky approaching quickly.

"I came as soon as I heard your voice," the mix-breed panted. "What's up?"

Marshall didn't say anything. Instead, he pointed a paw at the simulation screen. Not a second later, Rocky gasped and held back tears.

"The simulations worked," Rocky breathed. "Of the ten thousand scenarios, it tested positive for all of them, but one."

"But what does that mean?" asked Everest dumbfounded.

"It means that we are one step closer to finally fixing Chase," Rocky answered, looking at Marshall. "We found our golden ticket. Let's tell Ryder."

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 **A/N: This was a long and incredibly fun chapter to write. There are only a couple chapters left in this story. Thanks for the incredible journey! We'll be wrapping it up shortly. See you soon!**

 **Atlas FF Out!**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Getting back into the swing of things was everything but an easy task for me, but I've somewhat managed to do it while maintaining the healthy and physical lifestyle I've been accustomed to for the past few months. I have missed writing for this fandom for quite sometime as I enjoy writing for people that can be very supportive and kind. So hopefully you guys remember me, if not I hope this story refreshes your memory a little bit. Like I've said in the past, if you're new to the story, start from the very beginning instead of skipping straight to the updated chapter. Anyway, I'm keeping this author note fairly short as I am more interested in writing this story than blabbering on about myself. Thanks for tuning into this chapter and I'll catch you guys at the end.**

 **Welcome to Chapter 23 of Hearts of Ice and Fire**

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 ** _"The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall" - Vince Lombardi_**

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It felt like the largest and heaviest weight had lifted off of his shoulders. What Marshall and Rocky had spent countless hours upon countless hours on was finally being made into a reality. The seemingly flawless design for Chase's back injury was quickly being put into production at the speed of light and sound put together. But whilst Rocky felt confident in his impressive and nearly impossible, the spotted Dalmatian withheld his skepticism, but kept it reserved at the back of his mind.

While Marshall trusted Rocky and all of his incredible contraptions, he just couldn't tell the mix-breed about the doubts he had. This design was life or death for Marshall. If it worked, his status on the team would be returned and he could slowly start rebuilding his trust that he had broken with the other pups. And if the design took a wrong turn or if it injures Chase anymore than he already was, Marshall wouldn't see the light of the next day.

But all that he could do was just sit back and wait for the design to be built into a working prototype for them to do final testing on. It was only a matter of time until it would be finished. The 3-D printer had been working around the clock for nearly two days and they were surprised the machine had gone that far without becoming faulty or damaging the prototype in the process. Rocky had to keep constant maintenance and eyes on the printer in case something bad popped up.

Neither of them slept in that entire two days of construction.

The bags beneath their eyes were extremely prominent and they grew weak and sleepier with every breath of the lips and stride of the paw. And with the lack of nourishment, they looked almost starved to the bone and their mouths were barely hydrated from the few sips of water every now and then.

But the idea of mission accomplishment was what kept them going, even if failure hovered over their heads like an elephant tied to a piece of string that was broken down to only a mere piece of thread. All it took was one mishap and the whole plan would be crushed.

Even though Marshall and Rocky had worked together on the project and they had set aside their differences to focus entirely on Chase, there was still that invisible tension between them that they just couldn't get figured out. Whenever Ryder came down to check on their progress, he could see the tension between the two pups.

They isolated themselves on different sides of the room with their backs turned, they couldn't look into each others eyes, and whenever they did make even the slightest bit of eye contact they would have a weird look on their face, like they didn't know what to say to one another. Not even Ryder could figure out what was going on with the two of them. He thought he had made them settle their differences after Rocky was hostile for the first week of being in that basement.

But they never argued, they worked together when the time aroused for them to do so, and they seemed to be putting the past behind them. Even though Rocky still saw a different pup when he looked at Marshall. It was rough on him to be working so closely with Marshall after all that the fire pup had done to the team.

But today was hopefully going to change that forever.

Marshall sat quietly near the 3-D Printer observing its every move as it slowly built the prototype brace for Chase's back. He could see the estimated time on the screen nearby. With only minutes remaining in the construction process, Marshall slowly started to feel his heart pounding. Like it wanted to break out of his chest and escape into the world. But he had to remain calm, especially since Rocky was sitting a few feet away from him.

The mix-breed pup had been sitting in front of the printer for nearly three hours. He watched it closely in hopes that if it broke down he could get it back up and running again. The last thing the Eco-Pup wanted was for the machine to completely shut down and reset. It happened to the mix-breed in the past on some of his more personal projects, but this was one project he prayed didn't fall to the machines dangerous games.

Rocky sighed. "Only a few more minutes, Marshall," he said quietly without turning his head. "I can't believe we've made it this far."

Marshall opened his mouth to speak, but was quickly captured by a long yawn. "Yeah," he replied. "Me neither. Gosh, I never thought this day would actually come. I thought I was going to be trapped down here forever."

Rocky suppressed a chuckle. "Yeah, I hear you. It'll be nice to finally shut down and sleep. Over these past couple of days, I could sleep for a week and still feel tired."

"Only a few moments now and we can hit the rack and get some rest," Marshall reassured. "That's if the machine follows through and finishes this brace."

"Don't jinx us just yet," Rocky blurted out, a little bit of fear in his voice. He looked at the timer and breathed in deeply. "One-hundred and sixty seconds until construction complete. The last thing I need is for something bad to come up. We've worked to hard and to long to be halted in our tracks now."

"Couldn't agree more, but I still remain cautious," Marshall responded.

"Did you ever give that doctor a call?" Rocky badgered. "The one that might be able to do the surgery?"

"Yes, I called Dr. Hartman a few days ago and she agreed to perform the surgery," Marshall answered softly. "She'll just need to get a specific date and time as well as a quick brief from you."

"Why?" Rocky asked confusedly. "I'm just the builder. Hospital work is your business, not mine."

"She is perfectly aware of that, but she'll want a brief on how the device would be implanted. It'll make it easier when it comes down to the surgery. Because once this device is installed, it's installed."

"I'm really glad I checked and rechecked the electrical work that'll be going into this device," Rocky added with a fearful smile. "Bad electronics means Chase doesn't walk."

"Knowing you, I'm pretty sure the electrical work will work just fine," Marshall praised.

"Yeah," Rocky mumbled, dipping his to the screen. "Thirty seconds left. Here we go."

Marshall started to feel his heart pound even harder. So much that it made his chest hurt just a little. He watched the timer go down second by second while all of life around him seemed to freeze in place. With each second that counted down, Marshall could see what he had done to Chase on that infamous day.

Every scratch of the claw…..

Every punch of the paw…..

Every kick of the foot…..

Every bite of the fang…..

And every hostile word of the tongue…..

The memory nagged at his mind, giving him a headache. It didn't make him feel better knowing that Chase might walk again. He would have to live with his actions for the rest of his life around a group of pups that he may never rebuild his trust with again. Whatever outcome Rocky and Marshall produced regarding Chase didn't seem like it was going to help Marshall. He felt like his life was going to be over at any moment.

He began to hyperventilate as the timer struck zero and a completion box popped up on the screen. There was a loud audible ding that echoed throughout the workshop. It kind of stung at Marshall and Rocky's ears as the two pups shook their heads with irritation. Marshall had to blink a few times to see if his eyes were possibly playing tricks on him. But they weren't!

I can't believe we're finally here at this moment, Marshall thought to himself.

"Marshall!" Rocky said happily. "We did it! It's finally complete!"

The mix-breed looked at Marshall, who seemed to be zoning off just by how much swaying he was doing. At any moment, the fire pup could fall just by the amount of swaying he was doing. So to make sure that didn't happen, Rocky forcefully put Marshall into a sitting position.

"Hey, are you okay?" Rocky asked. "You're moving around like a tree in a wind storm."

Marshall nodded confidently. "Yeah, I'm fine. We should…..," he paused to touch his head as it started to throb uncomfortably.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Rocky questioned. "You can go rest. I don't need…"

"No!" Marshall spat. "I'm staying with you until…..the end."

In reality, the stubborn pup wanted to roll over and fall asleep as fast he could. But he didn't want to show his weak side. He wanted to be ready in case Rocky needed him for anything. He couldn't leave Rocky to deal with everything. In his mind, everything regarding Chase was a group effort, regardless of how tired or hungry you were.

But there was a point where ones body could not take it anymore. And Marshall knew this very well, yet his stubbornness wouldn't allow him to give in to common sense. And common sense was telling him to get some well deserved rest. That's when he felt a paw on his shoulder.

"Marshall," Rocky whispered. "You've been up for nearly seventy-two hours, which is like sixty hours more than the average pup should exceed. I, as your team mate, strongly recommend that you go get some sleep. There are only a few things that I can take care of by myself and I'll be falling asleep right behind you."

"But I want to help, Rocky," Marshall protested. "You've no idea what it means to prove myself to everyone of you and to myself. I can't go backwards now especially with how much progress I've made."

Rocky looked him directly in the eye and for a second Marshall thought the mix breed pup was going to argue with him. So the Dalmatian dropped his head as he waited for the negativity to get him. But instead of being hostile, Rocky did something that Marshall wasn't expecting.

With a slow and awkward motion, the mix-breed pup wrapped his paws around Marshall and hugged him to which he responded by freezing in place. It felt relieving and relaxing, but it was just as much awkward as it was pleasant.

"You've made boat loads of progress," Rocky whispered. But as fast as the hug happened, it was over in an instant. The grey pup was lost for words and he seemed distraught and a little embarrassed.

"What was that for?" Marshall asked slowly, still in his frozen state of shock.

"You looked like you needed a hug and I figured I'd give it to you," he replied in a heartbeat. "Why? You didn't think I would do that for you?"

Marshall nodded his head. "After all that I had done and said, after lying to you and everyone else, and after hurting Chase, how could you possibly want to give me an undeserved hug? A slap to the face probably would have been more appropriate."

Rocky shrugged. "Why not? You've worked just as hard as I have these past couple weeks and we're in the final stages together. This wasn't an individual project, Marshall. You may have been in the wrong in the beginning, but you strived to fix it ever since then. Most would have gone even further down the wrong path, but you chose differently. You have my admiration and my trust. I…..I care about you, Marshall. We'd be lost without our clumsy fire pup."

"You care about me?" Marshall said skeptically. "After all that I have done, you just expect me to believe that you see a whole new me? You must really think I'm that dumb, don't you?"

Rocky immediately shook his head. "I don't think you're dumb, Marshall. But are you known for doing incredibly dumb things? Yes, you are! But that doesn't make you a dumb pup."

"Then what does it make me exactly?" Marshall countered, doing his best to stay relaxed.

"It makes you an incredibly smart pup that screws up every now and then," Rocky said honestly. "And everyone makes mistakes. They take advantage of us when our backs are turned and when no one else is looking. Its happened to you, me, Ryder, the other pups and just about any other person that you come across. But it's up to that person or pup to choose whether or not to fix that mistake. And you chose the right path and you've basically accomplished your goal. There is literally nothing else that you have to do for Chase."

"I wouldn't say that if I were you," Marshall said unenthusiastically. "There is one thing that I need to do for Chase. Something that I've been meaning to say to him ever since he woke up. I just haven't had the guts to tell him yet."

"What do you need to say to him?" Rocky asked with a worried look on his face.

"I need to tell him how sorry I am," Marshall answered. "For everything that I did and said. I-I need to…..tell him what I did to him. He deserves to know how he got into the position he is in. I won't be able to look him in the eye with the idea that I hurt him real bad. I don't want that hovering in my conscious for the rest of my life."

Rocky took a few steps back. "Why? You've built so much trust with him already. It has literally gotten to the point where I can't walk into his room without him asking about you. He has been dying to see you. You wouldn't want your first visit in a while be your last because you chose to confess your sins to him."

Marshall sighed, but shook his head. "I can't live a life like this Rocky, I just can't! It's hard enough trying to play the innocent card with him all the time. Plus once the implant and brace are installed, I won't even be able to look at the device that keeps him on his feet because I'm the reason went it will be there. I understand I'll most likely be ruining my friendship with him, but he is better off knowing what happened?"

"You have to understand that you and Chase still live here Marshall! If you choose to tell him the truth, he is not going to feel safe at a place that guarantees safety. Why would you make it harder for the both of you?"

"Because I can't sleep at night without waking up with nightmares in my head!" Marshall snapped. "If you knew what that was like, you'd do everything in your power to fix it and make it better. This is the only way to fix it." He began to push his way past Rocky so he could make his way to Chase's room.

But the mix breed stood in his way, halting him in his tracks. "I'm not letting you ruin your life more than it already has been. You need to think about what you might do to Chase psychologically if you tell him."

"What do you mean?" Marshall asked.

Rocky sighed. "Listen, I don't think that you are going to benefit yourself by telling Chase about what you did to him. He trusts you the most out of everyone here at the Lookout. He trusts you more than his own parents, which is an absolute shocker to me, but I don't judge."

"Yeah, sure you don't," Marshall said sarcastically.

"Totally uncalled for, but I'll accept it," Rocky grunted. "Anyway, you've built up this immense trust with Chase and we don't need you derailing that train of trust. Because if you go in there and tell him everything by spilling your guts to him, we could lose him…..forever."

"And how is that?" Marshall challenged.

"I've read multiple studies about regaining harmful memories due to amnesia and the results from those studies aren't on the positive side," Rocky explained. "In these studies, the patients memories were regained by triggering a stressful event from the patients past that basically reminds their brain of who they once were."

"Like a computer?" Marshall said

"Like a computer, exactly, but on a much larger scale," Rocky exclaimed. "But in this case, you aren't just getting the original behaviors and characteristics of the individual. There were plenty of side effects that came too. Some of them came back brain dead and others came back…..well…..dead dead."

"Wait! You're saying that people have died from things like that," Marshall blurted out.

"Yes," Rocky nodded. "Somehow during the memory retrieving process, it practically fried their brain and it killed them. Like when you try to download very large files on a computer, but the computer doesn't have enough processing power to download, but you choose to download it anyway. That damages a computer. And that can happen with a brain. Too much memory input at once all because they triggered an incredibly stressful event from their past. Outcome: brain go boom."

Marshall stopped at his colleagues words. The realization was finally coming full circle and he slowly started to understand the possible after effects of telling Chase the truth of his injuries. He looked Rocky in the eye and nodded his head. "So me telling him about how I hurt him could actually kill him?"

Rocky nodded. "Due to how fierce and harmful you were to his body, his memory could easily be jogged enough to remember everything about that day. It would send him over the edge so far that you wouldn't be able to reel him back in."

The dally was shocked! He didn't know there would be serious consequences to a seemingly harmless idea. "I'm sorry, Rocky! I didn't know that was actually a thing. I-I…..wasn't thinking straight. I think I'm going to…...go get some…..sleep!"

"It's okay, Marshall. I know you meant good by it. You just have to understand that some stones are best left unturned," Rocky sympathized. "Go get some rest, okay? You've earned it." Marshall smirked with a look of appreciation on his face and turned away and walked to his room, closing the door behind him leaving Rocky alone in the workshop.

The mix-breed never liked lying to his friends, but he knew that he had to make something up before Marshall destroyed his relationship with Chase forever. Rocky knew that those two pups shared a special bond that couldn't be broken, but he didn't like the idea of Marshall testing those waters just yet. He figured that it was better off that Chase regained his memory naturally.

Rocky didn't know how long that would be until it eventually occurred, but he knew one thing for certain.

Chase was going to get his legs back. And the team was going to get back their police pup.

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 **A/N: Well, I don't know how this chapter really rates compared to previous chapters, but I knew I had to make something before I went back to training again. My update schedule is unknown at this time since I will only have minimal time on the weekends to work on my stories. So I apologize in advance if you were expecting me to drop chapters rather quickly. The Marine Corps is my life now and I can't fail it now. Hope you all understand!**

 **Take care of yourselves and I'll see you in the next one!**

 **Atlas FF Out**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Well I finally upgraded to a new tablet, so I am slowly going to start getting back into the swing of updating weekly, maybe bi-weekly depending on the circumstances. The Marines have found ways to keep me busy on a daily basis, and I only see time to myself on the weekends. But I'm happy that I can start updating again. As always, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and I hope you like this story until the end, but that could quickly change if a new idea pops into my head. We'll just have to wait and see.**

 **Enjoy!**

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 _ **You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you stop to look fear in the face. You can say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' -Eleanor Roosevelt**_

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 _ **~Chase's POV~**_

The days had turned into weeks since Ryder had brought me down to the lower levels of the lookout. But the days and weeks felt like months, maybe even years. Never in my life, despite my amnesia, had I ever felt so alone and bored. I had the TV and games, but I was physically-challenged just enough that I wasn't able to use them. Just to change the channel or put time into a dull movie seemed impossible.

But I made due with my situation.

Well…at least sometimes. Because once you've watched the entire series of Cops over and over again and watched every movie twice, you tend to get a little bored. You keep telling yourself that there is something you haven't watched yet, but deep down you know that there isn't,

I was beginning to go crazy like the Joker, almost to the point of creating imaginary friends or arguing with my demons and angels. In fact, I think I'm doing that now…..or am I? It's tough to tell these days.

"But they make the day go by faster," I had argued with myself one day.

Then my inner demon poked me with his pitchfork and told me, "Shut your frigging communist mouth and watch the next show." Only he didn't say friggin! My virgin ears had never been so violated in my life. But I can honestly blame my dad and his potty mouth for that one. Hopefully, my mom soaped him up real good before Brooke was born.

Could you imagine a small pup like her going around dropping bombs everywhere she went? A combination of cute and funny with a pinch of bad words. Child services would be on her like white on rice on a paper plate with a glass of milk in the middle of a snowstorm in Antarctica.

But back to the main topic at hand….or is it paw! Do human figures of speech still work for dogs? I honestly don't know anymore, and it makes my head hurt.

Anyway, It had even gotten to the point where I may have tried to call the ASPCA and report animal abuse. Or I may have tried pleading my eighth amendment rights and claim that my current situation was indeed cruel and unusual punishment, but Ryder just let out a laugh.

Who does that to their pups? I had thought of myself multiple times. Maybe I was just overreacting a little. Oh hell, who am I kidding? I'm never going to get out of this limbo!

Yes, you are!

No, you aren't!

See! I'm doing it again!

My brain was always pedal to the metal firing on all cylinders all the time. Good lord, I'm going to have a stroke someday. The only time I ever felt sane enough was when my mom brought in Brooke.

The little Shepherd was getting bigger and bigger by the day. Her baby fat was slowly going away, and her body was starting to get toned as her muscles began to grow. She even learned how to speak, which made seeing her ten times better. It made the hours tick by faster when I had someone to talk with that I enjoys being around.

And during the times when I was too energized to sit still, I was doing my exercises which were near perfect. I grew stronger and stronger in all parts of my body that were still living. There was a significant change in my forelegs and shoulders. I had bulked up just a little bit, but it made my body look hugely disproportionate.

Wow, that was a pretty big word right there! It took me a couple of attempts to say it correctly. Like in Finding Nemo? It's an anemone…Dang it, I did it again!

My immobile hind legs had practically lost all the fat and muscle, and all that was left was skin and bone and maybe a little meat. Like if you threw my hind legs to a condor it would throw them right back and demand better service.

But despite my situation, I knew that I was in good hands. Or is it paws? Regardless, I knew that I was getting taken care of very well with the occasional visits from the other pups, Ryder, and my parents and my little sister. They checked up on me three times a day to make sure I ate something or to help me into the bathtub for a quick rinse. I wasn't going to be like some sorry souls that just let their bodies marinate in their nasty juices for days on end before finally deciding to clean up.

Just the mere thought of that left a bad taste in my mouth! Oh, I think I'm going to be sick! I said to myself as I dragged myself to the bathroom.

* * *

Marshall was making his way up the stairs to Chase's loft very slowly. There was uncertainty in every one of steps, and each level up the stairs felt like jumping up a one-hundred-foot cliff. It was only just the day before that he and Rocky were blessed with the positive results of their design.

"Chase was getting his legs back," Marshall said quietly followed by a relieving sigh.

But there was angst he withheld deep in his thoughts. He feared that Chase would immediately get his memory back and then he would be knocked back down to the bottom of the totem pole again. He didn't know how Chase would react.

Would he be scared?

Would he be angry?

Lots of questions were floating around in Marshall's head. Some of them good. A lot of them sad. And a couple here and there that was a little in between. But there was one question that Marshall asked himself that had him shaking in his fur.

Will Chase and I ever be friends after this is over?

The young pup shook his head, trying to knock away all the evil thoughts. Or at least push them away to the back of his head just for this one moment. Chase deserved to learn the results of Rocky's tests. Something that Marshall requested to share with Chase alone. If anyone was going to share any news with the crippled pup, it was going to be Marshall.

With one last step up the seemingly endless flight of stairs, Marshall turned to his left and stared at the door that separated him from his injured friend. The one he had been hiding a massive secret from him. And the one he promised his other friend, Rocky, not to share the secret. The possible result of doing as such: catastrophe.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open revealing Chase's room. But there was no Chase to be seen. Marshall stepped into the room cautiously as the automatic lights flickered on filling the room with a bright white glow.

But there was still no Chase.

The Dalmatian pup licked his lips and opened his mouth to speak, but snapped them shut when his ears perked at the sound of something in the bathroom directly to his front.

The sound of something…wet being dropped into water.

"Chase?" Marshall called out slowly. "Is that you?"

The only response was that liquid sound again.

Marshall's paws stepped with a bit of uncertainty. He didn't want to barge into the bathroom and find Chase emptying the tank. It wasn't in his nature to be rude. Again it wasn't in his character to beat his friends to a pulp just because they discovered you had a crush on a girl.

Touché Marshall!

He paused just outside of the bathroom and called for Chase again. "Chase? Are you okay?"

Marshall heard the same sound again, but this time it was more distinct, and he finally understood what was going on with the police pup. He was puking!

Stepping into the bathroom, he immediately saw Chase with his head shoved deep into the porcelain throne with his lifeless legs dangling from the seat. He watched the shepherd's stomach convulse, and he threw up once more.

Once Chase finished that round of emptying the contents of his stomach, he lifted his head revealing the absolute misery and discomfort in his eyes. His gaze shifted over and rested on Marshall's face, and he smirked.

"Probably not the first time you've seen me like this, huh?" The brown and black pup asked, ending with a nasty burp.

Marshall screwed his nose as the smell of vomit hit the nerves in his nostrils. "Nope, you should've seen the night you came back from a police party all hopped up on cake and grape soda. You were miserable for days after that."

Chase chuckled. "I do like my grape soda." He looked back at the inside of the toilet and threw up once more. "Oh, this is the worst stomach bug I've ever experienced."

"Eat something icky?"

Chase flushed the toilet and shook his head, his body apparently getting the last of the nasty substance out of his system. "Just had an icky thought that made me sick that's all. Don't ask," he said groggily.

Marshall walked up to him and offered his assistance in getting him off the toilet to which the Shepherd accepted without hesitation. It was a little awkward getting him down, but he did so without injury.

Chase felt lighter than Marshall remembered. The police pup used to weigh more than this. It was like lifting up a bag of feathers. "Do you want me to take you all the way to your bed?" Marshall offered. "It would be quicker."

Chase shook his head. "No, I can handle it. It makes me seem less helpless if I do a lot of the more simpler things myself," he said, as Marshall crouched down and let him walk on his own. "Thank you though."

"If you say so," Marshall said, as he walked beside the much slower pup. Does he see himself as helpless? "And you're welcome. It's the least I could do for a friend."

As he thought about that for a brief moment, Marshall watched Chase haul himself onto his bed. It looked almost challenging, but little did Marshall know was that Chase had intentionally made the climb into bed difficult.

The German Shepherd's only support was a small wooden box about a quarter of the height of the bed itself. From there, Chase pushed off with his front legs and launched himself up onto the bed leaving only his belly and busted thighs to pull up after. Chase made it seem so easy to do the nearly impossible task to climb the bed with his paralysis.

"How long did it take you to get that just right?" Marshall asked curiously.

"Oh, the box?" Chase asked. "Well, I guess it took me a couple of days to figure it out, but once I finally started to do it consistently without I'd say about a week." He settled himself in the middle of the bed, where he felt most safe and comfortable. And with an inviting glance at Marshall, he cracked his neck followed by a sigh of relief.

Marshall jumped up onto the bed with ease. "That sounded like it felt pretty good."

Chase smirked. "After having my head in that God forsaken toilet for ten minutes, I thought it would get rid of the annoying kinks in my neck. And I guess it worked because the kinks aren't there anymore."

"I know the feeling very well," Marshall said. "After some rescues, I can just look over both of my shoulders and feel all the vertebra in my neck pop all in unison. Sometimes I can do the same with my ba….." He stopped himself from delving into a particularly sensitive subject.

Chase dipped his head in understanding. "You don't have to hide the fact that my back is damaged. I'm used to not feeling anything back there anymore. It is weird having to drag myself everywhere I go, but I'm getting stronger in all other parts of my body, and I feel great. I'm not coughing up any fluid, and I feel great."

"But don't you miss running and playing?" Marshall asked. "Feeling the wind in your fur and the dirt and grass between your toes."

Chase nodded. "I miss all of that every single day, but I've grown to live without them. In fact, the only two things that are important to my body important still work somehow, praise the sweet lord above, because I thought that with my paralysis, I'd lose function of them. But I guess I dodged a bullet on that one."

Marshall's cheeks went red knowing what his friend was talking about. "Yeah, that would be unfortunate not to have the ability to use those two things. This room would have a whole different color scheme consisting of multiple shades of yellow and brown, as well as an unbearable stingy smell in the air." The spotted pup shuddered in disgust.

Chase frowned. "Well, that's an image I'll never get out of my head." But tears were forming in his eyes. "But you want to know the one thing that I do miss, Marshall?" The spotted pup quickly shook his head, obviously desperate for an answer. "I miss wagging my tail. I know that sounds dumb and all, but we're dogs. That's how we show others our emotions and how we feel. I can't show that anymore."

Marshall put a reassuring paw on his friend's shoulder. "Rocky and I are working very hard to make that a possibility again. It just takes time because something like this you would want us to get right the first time, right?"

Chase closed his eyes as a tear dripped down his face, but he nodded his acceptance. "Sorry that I'm getting emotional. I've just grown bored and tired of being in this room. I miss my friends and family. Spending my days in here feels like solitary confinement."

Marshall hummed his response and didn't say much more as he shifted a little uncomfortable. But Chase must have noticed him because the pup was staring him down as a cheetah looks at a baby gazelle.

"You doing alright yourself, Marsh?" Chase asked worryingly, sniffing his nose. "You're acting a little out of the ordinary. Is everything okay? Did something come up on your project? And why are you checking up on me instead of Rocky?"

Marshall hadn't assumed he was acting strangely. Maybe a little cautious. Not strange though. Despite all that, the shepherd did bring up a good point about Marshall being there except Rocky. Typically, it was Rocky that did the quick check-ups on Chase. Marshall had never done it once due to obvious reasons.

The only reason Marshall was even allowed to work on the project was that he struck a closed-door deal with Ryder. That deal is he wasn't allowed to be around Chase by himself or be near him until the young pup had gotten his paralysis fixed. Marshall was risking everything by being in Chase's presence.

He kind of froze up like a giant predator was staring him down, ready to pounce if he so much as moved a single hair on his spotted pelt. All he could do was roll his eyes. The fire pup petrified of the possible consequences.

His eyes watched Chase shift closer and closer until he was within reaching distance. The Shepherd pup put all of his weight on one leg and reached out with his free paw and ever so gently tapped Marshall on the chest three times.

Tap…

Tap…

Tap…

But that didn't seem to knock the Dalmatian out of his thoughts. Marshall was deeply concentrated on his mind and not what was going on around him. He felt his friend tap his chest but didn't seem to care. But at that moment, Chase planted his paw on Marshall's chest and gave him a massive shove, nearly knocking the pup off of the bed.

"Hello!" Chase said aloud. "Earth to Marshall! Are you still there?"

Marshall nodded his head as his mind finally came back down to Earth. "Sorry, Chase. Guess I just lost my train of thought. I tried to catch the darn thing, but that sucker goes pretty fast."

"Trains are pretty fast, but you still haven't asked my questions?" Chase smirked. "Do you remember what I asked?"

The dally shook his head. "I don't sadly. My mind was way up there in the clouds. A lot of thoughts have been rolling through my head recently, and I guess that one of them decided to pop up out of nowhere. Would you mind repeating them, pretty please?"

Chase groaned as though it was an impossible task, but he nodded. "Yeah, I guess I can go through the effort of asking the same questions again." But he had a smile on his face. "Why are you up here instead of Rocky and did anything else come up on your project? Like progress wise?"

Marshall quickly dipped his head. Two easy questions that had two very easy answers. "Well to answer the first question is rather simple. I'm up here because Rocky needed to get some shut-eye after working hard on this project. He had been getting very bad hours for sleeping and very little of them, so his energy reserves were empty."

Chase shrugged. "Makes sense. I thought I'd just ask because he normally gave me my meds and vitamins and whatnot, but I guess you don't have to drop that duty onto just one pup. Speaking of which, could you pass me them? I'm about an hour past due for my medication." The pup pointed a paw at a nearby table.

Marshall hopped off the bed and walked up to the table and retrieved Chase's meds and returned with them in quick time. "Here you go, buddy," he said, giving Chase the four small pills. "Need some water?"

Chase shook his head as he made quick work of swallowing the pills, hoping they didn't get lodged in his throat or go down the wrong pipe. The pup didn't have the time nor patience for any of that business. He shuddered when he was finished and made a sick sound with his mouth and tongue. "I've been popping those pills three times a day for the past few weeks, and they still haven't gone down any easier."

Marshall chuckled. "Well, I hope we don't have to worry about a lot of pills in your future because the answer to your next question brings some very good news."

"How good?" Chase asked, licking his lips to get the bad taste out of his mouth.

"I lied, there is a little bit of bad news that comes with it as well now that I think about it," Marshall added, dragging it on just a little further. "Which would you like to hear first?"

"You know I like my vegetables first." Chase had one of those 'Are you freaking kidding me' kind of looks on his face. "What could the bad news possibly be?"

Now the excitement started to brew in Marshalls' stomach as he was barely able to contain himself. "Well, the bad news is that we have to make a very long trip to the hospital for your next check-up."

Chase shrugged. "Beats living in here all day. It'd be nice to see the sun for once in my life. After being in this basement, I'd like to stretch my legs somewhere else." He sighed. "But what's the good news?"

"Nothing really special to be honest," Marshall mumbled. "We've made decent progress on the project, but there have been some boring things as well." Now to break the good news. "I've had to talk with multiple doctors, had to wait for the tests on the designs which took all of like ten minutes. Like a long ten minutes. What else? Oh, you're getting your legs fixed."

 _Did I ask him too quickly? He's not reacting!_ Marshall thought.

Chase immediately froze in disbelief. "You're lying to me. No way it's true." His eyes began to water. "No, it…it can't be." The first tears started to form in the corner of his eyes. "Stop playing with me, Marshall. This isn't funny." The pup wanted nothing more than for it to be true, but even the simplest things to comprehend can be the impossible. Like the impossible task on the face of the planet on steroids. "I'm dead serious…I don't think this is very funny. I can't believe you thought that was a good idea. Why are you not telling me the truth?"

It almost hurt to think that after all the work Marshall and Rocky had put in to make the impossible a reality and get extremely positive results because of it, Chase would just assume that Marshall was lying to him. But how would he digest something that huge if he didn't believe in it?

"I am telling you the truth," Marshall sniffed as his emotions started to spike. "I'd…..," he paused to wipe his tears. "I'd never lie to you, Chase. I'm completely serious. You're going to walk again. It's being built as we speak."

Chase slowly started to bawl as he stuck his face under her front legs. It truly was an emotional sight to take in. Learning such news was cause for celebration, but that would have to wait. The young pup was breathing heavy and crying hard at the news.

Marshall wanted to hold him in an embrace, but the memories were still pretty fresh in his brain. No, I can't touch him! Not yet! Maybe not ever again. The thought of leaving him heartbroken, but he knew, just like everyone else, that it was for the best. All Marshall could do was lay his head next Chase's and wait for him to look up at him.

It didn't take long before Chase did look up at him. His eyes were red, and his nose sounded stuffy. The fur on his face and his legs were damp with his tears, and a dark spot on the bed's comforter was wet as well. He was shaking his shoulders, and his breathing was hyperventilating. "I can't believe it's true. I-I'm getting my legs back. H-how long have you known this?"

Marshall wiped his face once more. "Rocky and I got the results just yesterday. I planned to tell you the moment we got results, but the two of us were exhausted and completely expended. So I got some sleep and came up here the moment I woke up. Our reactions were the same as yours. After working so hard, it was a great feeling knowing it wasn't for nothing. And now that you know about it, the feeling gets ten times better." He stood up and hopped up off the bed and shook out his fur.

Chase sat himself up and looked down at him. "What are you doing?"

Marshall looked back up at him. "I thought you might want to have a moment to yourself and let the news sink in. Besides, Rocky is probably wondering where I disappeared off to. He wanted to be here to share the news as well, but as I said earlier, he was super tired. Besides, I could barely contain myself."

The Shepherd hummed his understanding. "Well I could at least see you off," he said, moving his way towards his box.

"That's not very necessary," Marshall said. "You should get some rest. Your procedure is in like three days."

"I'll sleep later, besides it's a very common courtesy."

"Just stay in bed, Chase."

"I insist on walking you out."

Chase's voice was becoming more and more aggressive, and his actions slowly reflected on his attitude. The pup approached the edge of the bed and looked at Marshall.

Marshall was already at the door, which he opened slowly. "I told you, Chase. It's not necessary. Get some rest alright."

Chase huffed. "I'll do as I please," he said as he took a step forward.

As he did so, the pup wasn't paying attention and hit the edge of the bed. His paw slipped right off, and his body followed after it. He let out a plea for help as he made free fall. The police pup was falling directly towards his box head first.

Marshall watched the whole scene unfold as though it was a slow-motion video. He felt cemented to the floor and watched in horror as Chase hit the hard, wooden edge of the box Chase used to get up on his bed. With a thud, he collapsed onto the ground with one paw on his head. He let out a gut-wrenching scream that echoed throughout the room and into the hallway.

By then, Marshall was moving towards the squirming pup. "Chase! Are you okay?" he examined the pups body, finding no other injuries or any injuries to be exact.

The pup lets a scream of pain, but out of the blue, he went quiet and shot his head into the air. A look of sheer terror was on his face like he had just seen a ghost. His eyes drifted over to Marshall, and he withdrew in absolute fear. He shifted his body away from him and got a great distance away from him.

"Chase, what's wrong?" Marshall asked worryingly, approaching slowly.

"S-stay back, Marshall," Chase quivered.

"Chase, I'm not gonna hurt you, " Marshall promised.

"Like I'm stupid enough to believe you after all that you did, " Chase snapped.

"What do you mean?"

Chase looked at Marshall and quivered his lip. "It was you," he whispered. "You did this to me."

"Did what, Chase?" Marshall questioned skeptically.

"You're the one that h-hurt me…..y-you're the reason my b-back is broken."

* * *

 **A/N: Well the moment we have all been waiting for, the moment where Chase finally gets his memory back. I hadn't originally planned for Chase to get his memory back that way, but the idea popped into my head, and I rolled with it. Anyway, sorry again for the long delay. I just got a brand new tablet that runs better than my last, and now I can slowly start getting back into writing again for real this time.**

 **And I have recently decided that this story is going to be getting a follow-on story shortly. I haven't fully figured out the details just yet, but once something is officially made, I'll throw a chapter out there and let you guys gaze in all of its glory or filth, depending on how good it is. Well just have to see.**

 **Since typing this chapter, I've learned that I am going to be stationed on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.**

 **Only a few chapters left**

 **Expect updates to other stories in the future as well.**

 **See you guys in the next one!**

 **Atlas out!**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Well I've officially been stationed in Hawaii for a few weeks now, and I am happy that I can begin writing throughout the weeks to come if my schedule doesn't jam pack with field operations or any of that jazz. But anyway in other news, this story has surpassed 30,000 views, and I couldn't be happier with that. This is the story is more successful than I have ever could have imagined it to be. Yeah, I know I say that a lot, but that is the truth. It's also nice to see that new authors join the fandom every day with new stories to share. I had many fears that this fandom would have died off soon, but I guess I was wrong about that. Anyway, I'll shut myself down right there, and I'll get right into it.**

 **Welcome to Chapter 25 of Hearts of Ice and Fire**

* * *

" _ **I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear." -Nelson Mandela**_

* * *

For the first time in at least a couple of weeks, Marshall stepped outside the Lookout. The sun shined brighter and warmer than any light bulb in the workshop where he had resided for what felt like an eternity. The fresh air filled his nose, and the light breeze ran through his short fur making his skin tingle. It had taken a moment for his eyes to adjust, but they fixed themselves quickly.

But that didn't fix the giant weight that hung over his head.

Marshall felt like his body was about to wither away into nothing at any second. His worst fears were finally unveiling before him, and he didn't know what he was supposed to do about it. He froze like a statue. The fear and uncertainty washed over him, and his heart beat faster and faster. But he knew that one thing was for sure. Chase had regained his memory, and Marshall didn't know what to do. He had left the room after Ryder and Rocky showed up.

"Go upstairs, for now, Marshall," Ryder had instructed calmly. "We'll talk later."

He didn't know when that would be, but he wasn't sure if it was going to be a good talk or if he was going to get his butt chewed out for directly disobeying what Ryder had told him. But he didn't seem to care. The only thing that made his heart hurt was that he may not ever be friends with Chase again.

The fire pup walked out towards the tree where he and Everest talked what seems like forever ago. He hid behind it and looked out towards the ocean, which lay directly in front of him and about a hundred feet down. His gaze peeked over the edge, seeing the ocean slam against the sharp rocks that pocked out. One wrong step and he was a goner for sure.

But he wasn't a jumper.

The idea of jumping to end one's life wasn't farfetched, but it just seemed impractical in the long run. Not only did it have long-term effects on anyone that did survive their attempt, but it also carried the results over to the friends and families of the victim. Marshall would never do anything more severe than he had already done.

But the thought did linger in his mind like lousy kibble.

He felt something touch his shoulder and turned to see Everest looking at him. Just by the look in her eyes could he tell that she knew what happened between him and Chase. The pup invited her to sit next to him, which she did promptly and leaned her head against his shoulder. But she stayed surprisingly quiet for a few minutes before she finally decided to speak with him.

"Are you doing alright?" she whispered

Marshall drooped his head and shook it slowly. "I don't know how I could be alright anymore, Everest. Chase has his memory back, and he hates me."

"Well," Everest sighed. "What did you expect to happen, Marshall? You hurt him bad. Can you blame him for being angry and afraid of you?"

"No," Marshall breathed. "I can't blame him, but it doesn't make it any easier to cope with the fact that I might never get to see him as my friend again."

"Hey," she said gently grabbing his muzzle and looking into his blue eyes. "You know just as well as I do that you two will be friends again. You have to give him a little time, and before you know it, you two will be chasing each other around the yard playing as though nothing ever happened."

"But what if you're wrong?" Marshall sobbed, a tear forming prominently in his eye. "What if…what if that doesn't happen? What if he sees me for what I am for the rest of his life?"

"He won't Marshall," Everest promised. "He might have his memory back, but he still must remember all that you've done for him in his life, right?"

"Maybe," Marshall shrugged. "But it wouldn't surprise me if he didn't."

"Why are you only seeing the negatives, Marshall?" She asked seriously. "It seems like you don't want Chase back to his good old self. Like you'd rather see him with anger towards you for the rest of his life. Surely that's not what you want from him or anyone for that matter, right?"

Marshall shook his head without even a second thought. "No, of course I don't want that. It's just…...I'm prepping myself for the worst possible outcome is all. If I am destined to be a traitor and an even worse friend in his eyes, then I need to be ready for the road to come. I need to ready myself for a tough, but hopefully prosperous journey. He can't see me as this forever."

Everest shrugged. "Seems like you've gotten it figured out then, huh?"

He nodded. "It's all that's been on my mind since he woke up from his coma. I knew that if he were to get his memory somehow back, which has now become a reality, he wouldn't see me as the same old Marshall he grew up with his whole life. No, I expected him to be like this." He sighed. "I guess I just wasn't sure how I was going to take it."

Everest leaned her head against him once more giving as much reassurance as she possibly could. "It's a long road, but I think that you're strong enough to make it through, despite it being a large pill to swallow."

"I honestly am lost at this point," Marshall said. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do anymore."

"So that's it, huh?" a new voice questioned.

Marshall and Everest turned their attention to the new, yet recognizable voice and saw Chase's father, Tracer sitting a few feet away with his tail resting on his feet. He didn't seem happy, sad or even angry. A true professional at having a cold, emotionless face.

"Beg your pardon, dad?" Marshall asked confusedly

Instead of answering, Tracer looked at Everest. "Mind giving me a few moments with my son? I'll send him your way when we're done."

"Umm…sure, no problem," she said, giving Marshall a last look before walking away.

Once she was out of earshot, Marshall spoke. "What's so important that you can't let her hear?"

"You're just going to give up?" Tracer whispered, barely louder than the ocean breeze. "After all you've been through, all your hard work, everything against you, almost no support from anyone and you don't know what you're supposed to do anymore. Are you serious?"

Marshall gulped. "I…. I…. I," he finally just sighed and drooped his head. "I guess not. I guess I'm just scared is all. I feel helpless."

Tracer moved to sit right next to him and wrapped an arm around him. "What's on your mind, son? You know you can tell me."

"It's just…. I thought that I was working to fix, Chase," Marshall admitted. "But I think I broke him even more."

"You can't blame yourself entirely for him being broken, Marshall," Tracer reassured. "Sure, you caused him harm, but we both know that Chase was never perfect, to begin with, and I mean that in good faith. Nobody is perfect, and some are forged from being at rock bottom."

"So, you're saying that Chase being broken is good for him?"

"Kind of, sort of, not really," Tracer chuckled. "I'm saying that things will eventually get better. It's just going to take a little bit of time. It may seem like a long and bumpy road, but I honestly believe that Chase will be back to his old self. But you can't achieve that if you don't believe in yourself. Chase can't fear you forever. The best thing for you to do is to interact with him more than avoid him."

"You think so?" Marshall mumbled looking up at his step-father. "How do you know that this will work?"

Tracer nodded and sighed. "Let's say that I've had a similar situation happen to me in the past and I was able to fix it by using this method. I was terrified when it happened, but after constant usage of this method effectively, I was able to get my partner back to his old self."

"What happened to your partner?"

"Again, let's say that I hurt him pretty bad completely by accident during a police investigation. I'll tell you about some other time, maybe when you're a little older, alright?" He asked to which Marshall nodded. "So, you see, Chase may see you as a threat now, but as your girlfriend said, he can't possibly remember all of the things that you've done for him in his life. Yeah, he probably only wants to remember that you beat the daylights out of him, but I think that you can let him see something good for a change."

"Wow," Marshall exclaimed. "I never thought that what I feared most could be my biggest ally. Thanks, dad, I owe you big time. And for the record, Everest is not my girlfriend."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that," Tracer hugged his adopted son tightly before pinning him down and tickling him.

Marshall giggled and screamed like a little girl. "No! No, stop…. That …that…. tickles," he cried with joy. When his father stopped tickling him, he laid there to catch his breath and let out the occasional giggle before getting up. "Again, Everest is not my girlfriend."

"You want to know how I found out that Chase had a girlfriend before you boys joined the PAW Patrol?" He asked rhetorically. "Observation of the smallest details. You display them whenever you're around that cute, little Husky friend of yours. I don't know, is mom going to get those grandbabies she has always wanted?"

"Not any time soon," Marshall chuckled nervously, his cheeks red with embarrassment. "I haven't even gone on a date with her yet."

"Might want to fix that," Tracer patted Marshall on the back and began to walk away but stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Marshall?"

Marshall looked in his father's direction and saw the love and warmth in his eyes. "Y-yes, dad?"

Tracer smirked. "Smile and laugh more, please. I don't like seeing you upset. A smile looks better on you than anyone else that I've met." He walked away before Marshall could get out a response.

"Anything for you, father," Marshall sighed to himself.

* * *

It had taken some time, but Ryder was able to get Chase to calm down finally. He had gotten the poor pup to lay down in his bed and sleep finally. But the Shepherd pup occasionally whimpered and shivered, and Ryder knew that Marshall was still on his pups' mind. So, to hopefully help remedy that, he had asked his mother to stay with him until he could figure out how to fix the tension between Chase and Marshall.

"I don't know what we're supposed to do, Athena," Ryder said, worryingly. "I didn't expect Chase to get his memory back so fast."

Chase was fast asleep against his mother's belly. The injured pup gave the occasional jolt and mumbled in his sleep. His mother rubbed his back gently to relax him and coax him into a deeper, more peaceful sleep.

Athena sighed. "I'm glad that he has his memories back, but I feel like the trauma is too much for him to bear. He might never be the same again."

Ryder approached the bed and placed a hand on Chase's head. "It pains me to say this, but I wish that he didn't have his memory back. In all honesty, it would have been easier to start from square one with him, let him get his memory back on his own."

"You don't mean that, do you?"

Ryder shrugged. "I….I don't know. I know it sounds wrong, yet it's what my gut keeps telling me. But there's no use of trying to achieve that feeling now. Oh well, I guess we'll have to take the more challenging road."

Athena reached out and touched his hand. "And we'll be with you and the PAW Patrol until everything gets figured out. Tracer and I are both retired, and Brooke is old enough that we can raise her about anywhere with only the essentials."

"You know I can't ask you to do that, Athena," Ryder sympathized. "You've got a new baby to take care of, and we can take care of Chase on our own. Hell, I've been taking care of him for the last year."

"And I'm grateful for that, Ryder. Truly, I am grateful for everything you've done for my two boys. You've shaped them into model citizens and better rescuers. But now is the time where the parents need to step in and give their assistance and guidance." She looked down at Chase. "I don't want to be remembered as the mother that sat back and watched."

"You won't be, I can promise you that," Ryder reassured. "Come tomorrow morning; we make the drive out to Foggy Bottom where Chase will get his surgery. A few days after that, we'll be back here at the Lookout, and we will begin his physical therapy. You and Tracer will be with him every step of the way."

"What about Marshall?" Athena asked. "Surely you must have someplace for him to partake in all of this, right?"

Ryder sighed but gave no response.

"You weren't planning on including him, were you?" Athena demanded, trying not to raise her temper. The last thing she needed was for Chase to wake up to her and Ryder fighting.

Ryder shook his head. "No, I wasn't. I can't have Chase freak out during his therapy or else he's going to go over the edge, and we might lose him forever. I don't want to risk it, Athena. I can't do it."

"You say you can't, but I know you can, Ryder," Athena pleaded. "Marshall may have caused this and put himself into a pretty deep hole, but he sure as hell worked his tail off to drag himself out of it. You said his punishment was to help fix Chase or else the pup was going to be gone. Now I don't know about you, but he still hasn't accomplished that yet. As you can see, my baby isn't fixed yet."

The boy was lost for words. He had nothing to argue with because deep down, he knew that Athena was right whether he wanted to believe it or not.

"Marshall is helping us with Chase, and that's final!"

* * *

 **A/N: Hey fellow writers, enjoyed writing this chapter. I had some skepticism about coming back, but an author helped motivate me to go back and rewrite. You know who you are! I know I keep saying the same old trash about wanting to write more and being able to stick to an update schedule and whatnot, but I've decided that I will update when I feel ready to update. If that's every few days, every week, once a month, I don't care, but I will be updating. I'm not ready to give up on this fandom. We already lost too many good authors to trolls, and I won't let them get to me. But anyway, I've updated now. I got ideas for my one-shot story with one chapter as a work in progress.**

 **All the best and see you next time!**

 **Atlas Out**


	26. Chapter 26

**Welcome to Chapter 26 of Hearts of Ice and Fire**

* * *

 _ **"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong," -Mahatma Ghandi**_

* * *

Marshall sat quietly in the corner chair in the hospital waiting room. A Styrofoam cup of water sat next to him untouched on top of a few past month edition magazines. Right next to some cheap picture frames with their factory pictures of some beach or forest. He held his head down, doing his best to not look at any of his teammates in the eye, who sat across from him. The speckled pup longed to speak with them, but he knew that it would only lead to arguing and fighting. He couldn't afford to get into an altercation with any of them, especially with Chase being just moments away from getting his life-changing surgery completed.

The ride out to the hospital had been the most stressful moment of his entire life. With the only limited amount of seating in the PAW Patroller, Marshall had been forced to sit extremely close to Chase. He had done his hardest to avoid making any eye contact with the Shepherd pup, but it was Chase who was always looking at him.

Marshall had never seen more fear in anyone else's eyes in his life. Chase's eyes were dilated to the point where it seemed like he had black discs for eyes. It haunted Marshall's soul whenever his eyes saw them as they sent chills up and down his spine. He felt uncomfortable being within ten feet of Chase, and the other pups sure made him know it. And to make the trip smoother, he made no move on trying to speak with his injured friend.

Plus, he had made a deal with Ryder not to do so until he thought the time was right.

They eyeballed him closely in Adventure Bay where they first loaded up, the entirety of the drive and when they arrived at the hospital almost an hour and a half after leaving the Lookout Tower. It was when Chase was finally taken away on a gurney with his golden ticket on his lap.

Sitting next to him throughout it all was Everest.

The Husky pup was with Marshall the whole drive out to the hospital and hadn't left his side since. Like Marshall, she avoided any hostile comments or any uncomfortable conflicts with the rest of her peers. She had to stick close to Marshall to keep his head straight and out of hot water. Wherever he went, she was sure to follow him there. Whether it was in the cafeteria, outside to catch some air, or the bathroom, which she was gracious enough to let him go alone on that one.

But she didn't want any of the other boys to get any ideas about hurting him, so she always stood right outside the door just waiting for him to get done doing his business.

Marshall finally did decide to look up at only one person. That person is his leader, Ryder. He saw that the boy was tucked into a magazine and he couldn't feel anything else but gratitude for the boy. It was him who thought that Marshall should be allowed to come to the hospital with everyone else. Despite not getting to speak with Chase, Ryder believed his presence at the hospital would help Chase understand that Marshall genuinely does care and accept what he had done.

Chase didn't think so when Ryder had proposed the idea. The German Shepherd was an emotional wreck, and he was full of hysteria and fear that Marshall might hurt him again. Ryder reassured that nothing was going to happen to him, which kind of helped but, Chase maintained a constant knowledge of where Marshall was at all time.

Marshall smirked and made a little grunting noise, which perked the ears of Everest. She nudged his shoulder and got his attention. "What's up?" he mumbled quietly to her.

"I need some fresh air, care to walk with me?" she asked, hinting for him to follow whether he wanted to or not. He dipped his head and followed her outside.

Despite having arrived in the morning hours, it was already dark outside. The surgery had been taking longer than expected, which was mainly due to Rocky having to make sure his device was attached to Chase correctly on a consistent basis. But it only extended the surgery by about an hour maybe two.

The pair walked out the sliding entrance doors of the hospital and felt a light breeze immediately hit them in the face, relieving the stress of sitting in a hospital waiting room. Each time they had left the building, they walked to a hill across the street where they could look out and see nearly all the town of Foggy Bottom. Not exactly a beautiful one, but a relaxing one to just look out at and let all the negativity and bad feelings free.

"Alright," Everest said, taking a seat atop the hill. "What's on your mind now? I can tell that something is up with you."

Marshall took a seat next to her, the grass tickling the back of his legs. "I thought we were out here to get some fresh air, not to talk about me," he joked, but he could sense the worry in her voice.

"Come on, Marshall," she begged. "Tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong," he promised, giving her a reassuring kiss on the cheek. "But I guess you're right about there being something on my mind…about you and Chase…and your past."

He could tell just by the way she shifted uncomfortably and the look in her eyes that she didn't want to bring this topic up ever again.

"Can we talk about something else…. please?" she pleaded, a near upset look in her eyes.

"Come on, Eve," Marshall pressed. "I promise I'm not going to get mad. It's just that I've had that on my mind since I found out about you two and I want to hear it again. The last time you told me, you were pretty upset."

"Yeah, I remember all right," she whispered. "You were on the verge of kicking my teeth in."

"Okay," Marshall chuckled. "That's a bit of an exaggeration, don't you think?"

She shrugged.

Marshall sighed. "Alright, maybe I was a little upset, but at least I didn't start beating the crap out of myself because of it."

She gave him a playful shove. "Hey, it was either Rocky that was going to get a beat down or me, that's all I'm saying. And you were beating yourself up over it too."

"Yeah, part of me wishes you did," Marshall admitted. "But I'm serious. I want to hear about it. Something about what Chase said to me on the day I attacked him just seemed a little ironic."

"What did he say?" Everest asked, clearly interested now.

"He said he had doubts that you would be interested in me because I happen to be a clumsy pup," Marshall answered. "And I guess I find it ironic because here I am now, paired up with you against all the odds."

"Damn," she grumbled. "So, I guess you can say that me showing up to the Lookout that day started all of this. Huh! Never thought about it like that."

Marshall shook his head. "Ah, don't beat yourself up about that. I doubt that it was going to be preventable, but I will say that I was happy that you did because even if I didn't beat the daylights out of Chase, I'd have confessed my love for you that same day."

"Oh, jeez," she blushed, a smile on her face. "Stop it; you're too sweet. Even if that sweetness comes with a nasty temper."

"Believe me when I tell you, but that wasn't me at that moment in time," Marshall admitted.

"Yeah, I know," Everest believed. "You've already told me about ten times now."

He chuckled. "I'll bet, but…..on a more serious note. I guess I feel a little bit of resentment towards you because of the relationship between you and Chase. And to add your child on top of that doesn't seem to make it better."

"Hey," Everest whispered, looking into his sad blue eyes. "You have to trust me. I would not think of going back to be with Chase. My place is with you and only you. Nothing is going to change that. And I know that you're hurting because I didn't include you about my child with Chase. But you need to know that it was never my intention to hurt anyone and I paid the price for that."

"I know you did and I'm truly sorry about that," Marshall sympathized. "Who knows maybe it was destiny that kept you from letting me help? And if Sierra was supposed to pass on, then maybe I can't be mad at you for not allowing me to help keep her alive."

"Maybe," she mumbled, leaning into him. "Maybe you and I can be better in the future. Both of our pasts are pretty screwed up, and also two wrongs make a right, so…."

Marshall wagged his tail at the prospect. "I'd like that a lot. But I think we should wait a little while. I think I need to rebuild everyone's trust before I think about giving them a bunch of little nieces and nephews."

"Well, then I guess we won't be seeing any little Marshall or Everest's running around the Lookout then," she joked with him.

It took Marshall a few seconds to pick up what she was putting down. His eyes lit up wide with complete understanding. "Oooh, you are evil. I can't believe you said that. Man, and here I thought I was going to have my way, but nope. Here comes Miss Everest to…..actually put the fear of God in me."

He knew that she was joking around, but a part of him believed that there was some truth to what she said. He had every reason to think that he could regain everyone's trust, but it finally weighed down on him as heavy a freight train. It made him feel sick to his stomach.

He held a fist up to his mouth and swallowed slowly. "I think I might need a minute," he admitted, as he walked a few yards away to a nearby tree. The pup pressed his forehead against it, feeling the smooth, chill surface relax him. His foot was tapping the ground as he was trying to keep calm.

 _I can't get angry now!_

 _I can't get angry now!_

 _Remain calm!_

 _Remain Calm!_

 _Don't cry!_

 _Don't cry!_

 _Stay Strong!_

 _Stay Strong!_

As the fire pup spoke to his inner self, he teared up in his eyes and felt a single tear trickle down his cheek. He sniffed his nose and made a groaning noise. Slowly, without enough force to hurt himself, he bounced his head against the tree. He thought it might help, but it made him only let all his emotions out in one package.

Now he was crying to his eyes content. He now resorted to punching the tree with a closed fist, letting out pain filled cries with each strike of the trunk.

"Marshall, stop," A new voice begged.

The speckled pup ignored.

"Rocky, what're you doing here?" Everest demanded.

The mix-breed gave her a pleading look, hoping she would understand. "Please Everest! Just let me try to help him."

Everest scoffed. "After all the things you've said to him, you think you're going to try and help him?"

Rocky drooped his head. "I know the things I said were wrong, but deep down…..I regret those things that I said."

Everest dropped her jaw in confusion. "What?! You regret your words to him?"

He nodded. "I do. I finally realized it after working with him on the device. Hearing the whole story and realizing that it was all a loss of temper and defense of pride made me realize that I'm no better than he is by verbally attacking him." He pointed to Marshall. "This is the result of my actions, and I must fix it, or I'm no better than he is."

Everest was shocked, but she made no move to get between him and Marshall.

Rocky dipped his head in thanks and gulped as he approached. The Dalmatian was still beating the tree with his fists almost to the point of bleeding in his paws from a tree that was on the verge of splintering. The mix-breed approached cautiously, not wanting to startle Marshall. The last thing he needed was for the fire pup to throw a punch in his direction. He stopped only a foot away, reached out a paw and placed it on his friends back.

Marshall immediately stopped the assault on the tree, turned to look at Rocky, and quickly backed up against the tree. "Wh-what are you doing here, Rocky?"

Rocky inched his way closer to Marshall until he was within grabbing distance. "I came to talk to you, Marshall. I-I came to apologize."

Marshall looked over at Everest, who wore a sad gaze, but she nodded the truth. "You….you want to apologize? For what?"

Rocky sighed and took a deep breath. "I came to apologize for all the hateful things I said to you over the past few weeks. It wasn't right of me to do, and I can't have that on my conscious anymore. Especially after all that we've done the last few weeks and the many weeks, maybe months that we have to come."

"You only did it to save your tail," Marshall retaliated. "Had Ryder not threatened to kick both of us off the team, we probably wouldn't be having this conversation right now."

"Uh-huh, why is that?"

"Because if that were the case, one of us was going to be leaving that basement in a body bag," Marshall said darkly.

"You think I asked for this?" Rocky spat. "Ask yourself that. You think I wanted to work alongside you? If you do, then you're dead wrong, buddy. I may have called you out the moment Chase was hurt, but over time, I started to maybe, just maybe, believe that you were innocent. But we all know how that ended up, don't we?"

Marshall let out a small whimper. "Gee, I appreciate the guilt for the one-hundredth time already. You think I took joy in lying to all of you? If so, then you're dead wrong, buddy. I was scared to look you all in the eye and tell the truth because I didn't want to lose everything that I had worked so hard to achieve."

"You did that the moment you laid a claw on Chase," Rocky said through barred teeth.

"You know there are three things that I can't stand to live without," Marshall began. "Family, friends, and this job. All of those were put in jeopardy the moment I hurt Chase. Sure I could have started over, but where would that have gotten me. You would all still look at me the same because you can't just start over and expect everyone to be cool with you. It's not of those, "Hey, Marshall, we know you hurt Chase, but you know what, it's cool," kind of things."

"Then why hurt Chase if you knew what the consequences could be?"

Marshall looked over Rocky's shoulder and saw the devastation in Everest's eyes. "Because I had to defend my pride and the love that I had for someone I hold close to my heart. She hadn't known it at the time, but it didn't stop me from doing so."

Rocky looked over his shoulder briefly, then turned his gaze back to Marshall. "Why didn't you say that before?"

"Would it have changed anything?"

Rocky shrugged but seemed not really to have an answer.

"I didn't think so," Marshall sighed. He cast his gaze back at Everest. "Get enough fresh air for a little bit, Eve?"

She nodded her head. "I'm ready to go back inside now. You coming, Rocky?"

The mix-breed shook his head. "I think I need a few moments in the fresh air. I'll meet you guys inside."

Marshall wiped his eyes and nose and walked past Rocky only to pause after a few short steps. He turned to look at Rocky and saw the mix-breed staring back. They both shared a moment of silence and eventually gave each other a grateful smirk.

"Thanks, Rocky," Marshall whispered. "I do appreciate everything that you've done for Chase. And for giving me a second chance when not a lot of others would."

"Well if there is one thing that you did good, it's that through the thick and the thin, you've strived to make yourself better. But we still have a lot of work to do, and I want you by my side all the way." He held up a paw. "Until the end?"

Marshall felt hesitant about shaking Rocky's paw. "After all that I've done, you still want to work with me?"

Rocky flashed a smile and dipped his head.

Marshall slowly formed a smile of his own. "Well you can count me in," he said, taking Rocky's paw into a hold. "You good to come back inside with us. Pretty sure everyone's gonna get a kick out of you and me walking in together."

"Anything to hopefully put everyone's mind at ease," Rocky laughed.

The trio walked back into the hospital to find it quieter than they had left it. Only a few doctors and nurses roamed the bright hallways, and a lone receptionist ran the front desk. Ryder and the team were also there waiting inside in a new waiting area. Ryder stood in the doorway and greeted them as they entered.

"Where do you pups keep running off too?" he inquired gently. "You make me worry each time you get up and leave without telling me anything."

"Sorry, Ryder," Marshall answered. "We take a few minutes to catch some fresh air. Waiting makes my head hurt, and a walk outside seems to remedy that. I didn't mean to make you worry."

"Is that true?" he asked Rocky and Everest to which they both nodded. "Very well. Well, you just missed the doctor. He had some interesting news to share."

"Is Chase okay?!" Marshall immediately exclaimed, catching the attention of everyone else.

Ryder nodded and said, "Chase is fine. There were some minor delays and complications, but they figured it out before the surgery concluded."

"That's great," Rocky said. "Can we go and see him?"

Ryder shook his head. "Sadly not, Chase is doped up on meds, and the doctors said they won't wear off for at least another day. Even then we can't bring him home until the doctors release him."

Marshall sighed sadly.

"Don't fret pup," Ryder reassured. "You'll get your chance to speak with him when he wakes up. I promise you that." He looked over his shoulder at the rest of the team.

"Come on team, let's go home."

* * *

 **A/N: See you guys in the next one!**

 **Atlas FF Out!**


	27. A Journey's End

" _ **Rebuilding trust when it's been broken is not dependent only on the person who has broken it, or how many times they can prove they are honest. It depends on the person who has decided not to trust anymore. Though they may not be totally justified in their decision not to trust, as long as they chose not to, the relationship has no hope of survival and should be ended. If or when they decide to trust again, there is hope reborn," -Doe Zantamata**_

* * *

 **Welcome to the final chapter of Hearts of Ice and Fire**

* * *

Time only seemed to drag into what felt like an eternity. The point in eternity where one's body starts to become one with the Earth, slowly seeping through the casket of patients into the dirt of impatience. Marshall thought that his body was beginning to become one with the grass and he felt himself sinking into it. But each time he could see his friend Chase look in his general direction, he thought he might escape his spot in the grass.

But he had been laying on the ground in the shadows of a tree. The same tree he had the conversation with his father and girlfriend, Everest.

Marshall paid very close attention to Chase as Ryder, Rocky, and Chase's parents coaxed him around the yard. It was their fourth day of the doctor's prescribed rehabilitation exercises that Marshall had assisted with creating. But he never made a point of letting himself be apart of it. It was a choice he didn't take likely, but in the long run, deep down he knew it was for the best.

Even now he couldn't muster the courage to walk up to Chase. He wasn't the same pup he was a few days ago sitting atop a green hill outside of the hospital. But he still had the will to help Chase in every way that he possibly could, yet his body remained still.

Not a twitch of the ear on his head.

Not a shudder of the muscles beneath his skin.

But he noticed Ryder continually casting a hopeful glare in his direction. He wasn't sure it was an invitation or a threat. Marshall wasn't sure about Ryder's attitude towards him since they had brought Chase home. Of course, the boy was too in depth with helping the Shepherd pup.

"Maybe Ryder needs me?" Marshall kept telling himself, but the brown-haired boy never called him over, killing the spotted pups motivation. "Guess not."

The pup buried his face in his paws allowing the darkness to consume his vision. He could feel the tear forming in his eye, but he did his best to keep it from shedding.

Marshall knew that he had every right to walk over to them, but he felt like an invitation was in store. But the message was either being lost in the mail, or it wasn't sending because part of his brain was telling him that he was going to become a part of the ground before he got the opportunity to be around Chase.

Or so he thought!

As he opened his eyes to look towards Ryder and Chase, he could only see two sets of legs; one human and the other canine. His vision just a blur, he just made out Ryder, but he couldn't figure out who else was looking at him. But an all too familiar voice that had been haunting his dreams spoke to him, and it cleared his eyes up quick, fast and in a hurry.

"M-Marshall?" Chase trembled.

Marshall gasped as he took to his feet and backed a few steps away. He frantically looked back and forth between Ryder and Chase, hoping one of them would give him answers, but he received none.

"Why is he here, Ryder?" Marshall asked quietly. "I…..I don't have the right to be near him. Especially, after all, I've done."

Ryder took a knee and looked his pup directly in the eyes. "I know, but I didn't bring Chase over here." He looked at the handicapped pup. "He brought himself on his own accord. I'm only with him to make sure he doesn't fall."

Marshall was astonished, but he had no words.

Chase looked up at Ryder. "Can I have a moment with him, Ryder?"

Ryder leaned towards Chase and whispered in his ear. "Are you sure you want to be alone with him? You do know that he hurt you and put you in this state, right?"

Chase nodded. "I need answers, Ryder. I want to trust him again. Why would you try and take that opportunity away? Do you not trust him?"

He sighed. "I do trust him. He's done so much for you since you got hurt. He's got some open wounds too, you know?"

"I know, Ryder," Chase said. "I made those wounds. I need to accept responsibility right here, right now. So I ask again, may I please have this one-on-one moment with him?"

Ryder seemed to think about it for what looked like a year, but he eventually sighed and nodded. "I guess I was expecting this when you walked yourself over here. Very well. I'll stay close, but you two can have your private conversation." The boy walked away towards Athena, Tracer, and Rocky.

Marshall looked Chase up and down. He was clean, and his fur shined like new, unlike the way it had been matted and nasty nearly a week prior. It made Marshall happy to see that Chase was healthy. The brace and implant seemed to be working as it should, and the muscle was already building back up in his hind legs. _Not much longer and he'll be able to walk without the brace._

But he could also see the stress in his eyes and the trembling in his legs.

The speckled pup remained hopeful, but he was also confused. Now was his chance to get answers.

"H-How are you feeling?" Marshall began, trying to be as kind as possible. His fur feeling like it was about to jump off and run away.

"Besides some serious back pain and incredibly sore hind legs, I'm doing alright," Chase whispered, feeling anxious. "How are you doing?"

Marshall shrugged. "About as stressed as you are, Chase." He gave an awkward chuckle. "Your back and legs are just getting more exercise than they probably should. Have you been taking your breaks as you should?"

"What breaks?"

"Yeah, that's what I figured. May I check the device?" Marshall took a step forward but saw the alertness spike in Chase's eyes. _Guess he still sees me as a threat._ "That's not going to change anytime soon."

"What did you expect, Marshall?" Chase said, his voice still soft. "You didn't think that we were going to be a big happy family just like that, were you? I'm barely comfortable with you being in the same room as me, let alone a few feet away."

Marshall sighed. "I guess I did. I've just been wanting to make things up to you since the day you got your memory back. But I've been too big of a coward to try and do something about it."

"And you have, Marshall," Chase reassured. "And you're no coward for staying away. I'm not the same pup I was a few days ago. I can walk now."

"Of all places to walk, you chose to walk towards me. The same pup that put you into this predicament. Don't tell me that I knocked all of the sense out of you as well." Marshall finally said once Ryder was out of earshot.

Chase suppressed a growl. "I didn't come all the way over here to get a lecture, Marshall. I came to talk."

"So, talk," Marshall demanded. "I figure you got a lot to say before you cower back over there to mom and dad with your tail between your legs."

Chase chuckled sarcastically. "Still the same Marshall. You haven't changed one bit since you assaulted me and nearly killed me. I have quite the nerve to have you arrested, but I'm not going to do that."

"Why not? It's what everyone else wants," Marshall huffed. "No one wants me here. No matter what I've done to help you or anybody here, I still am a menace in their eyes."

"That's what happens when someone you trust and love and care about decides that it is just fine and dandy to attack a friend because their feelings got hurt," Chase snapped. "So yeah, you shouldn't feel wanted."

Marshall could see that Chase was trembling vigorously. "We wouldn't be in this situation if you weren't such a mean friend and brother, to begin with. You knew about my feelings for Everest, yet you still decided to pour more salt into a wound that you caused. This is all your fault."

"My fault! You attacked me, remember? Or are you still moping about the things I said to you?"

"I do remember!" Marshall barked. "Every night has been plagued with nightmares. I haven't slept a good night's rest since that unfortunate day. I barely had anything to eat and drink, and all I kept thinking about was failing to keep you alive." Tears formed in his eyes. "I've been an emotional wreck ever since. I can't hide behind this curtain of shame and disappointment forever, Chase."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I've fought to keep you alive. From the moment I laid a paw on you to the moment you had your surgery, I had been working countless hours with Rocky and Ryder and mom and dad to find a way to make you walk again. And while everyone didn't believe me or trust me, there was one individual that helped me through it all. That was Everest."

"You don't get to speak about Everest or anyone for that matter," Chase hissed. "After all the pain and suffering you caused them, you dare to have the audacity even to breathe her name. Everest has been through more hell than you can imagine."

"I know the hell that she's been through," Marshall replied. "I know that she was your mate for a while. I know that you had a puppy of your own named Sierra." The look of victory on Chase's face subsided. "Oh, yeah. I know how you didn't even try to let me help in your desperate time of need. Your child, the love of your life, died because you didn't do anything to save her."

"I know what I did, but I don't need reminding of it," Chase mumbled. "You know why I disappeared on some days. It's because, even though we aren't a mated pair anymore, Everest and I visit that cave where we stayed with Sierra. That's where we buried her. At the base of this little tree right outside the cave. The sun shines on that spot at noon every single day, and we take a moment to remember our baby."

"Everest never told me about that, Chase," Marshall said. "That was wrong of me to bring up."

Chase shook his head. "It's okay. I may not be able to hold my little girl anymore, but I'm happier knowing that she isn't suffering anymore."

"But why didn't you let me help you at the time? We'd be living a happy life right now," Marshall said. "So why not get me involved? I know the answer that Everest gave me, but what's yours?"

"Because I thought that I, being a first-time dad, could fix all the problems on my own." His paws shifted uncomfortably on the ground. "That I could do it all without needing anyone's help. That I was perfectly capable of raising that child with Everest."

"It takes a village to raise a child, Chase," Marshall said poetically. "We all would've done our part to help."

"And I know you all would have," Chase admitted. "I was just too proud and full of myself to see it. Now it's too late to fix my mistakes. So instead, I make sure no one else makes the same ones that I made." He inhaled deeply, wiped his eyes, and looked Marshall square in the eyes. "That's why I said those things to you, Marshall."

"What?" Marshall spoke with confusion.

"The day that you attacked me, Everest and I were planning on visiting Sierra's grave," Chase began. "We got into an argument about something that I can't even remember. We planned to meet there, but she decided to come down here to argue with me more."

"But you two hugged when she showed up here at the Lookout," Marshall added. "She didn't seem upset."

"Believe me," Chase continued. "I know what she looks like when she is having one of her moods. She's pretty good at hiding it."

"But what does that have to do with me?"

"Because after all that I had been through and finding out that you had taken a liking for Everest, I didn't want you to bite off more than you can chew. I didn't want you to go down the same path that I did. To make the same mistakes that broke me down. And so, I decided that no matter the cost, I would do anything to keep you from being with Everest. Because I'd hate to see you with a broken heart if you were ever put in my shoes."

"So you're saying that you said all of those things…..to help me?" Marshall said slowly.

Chase nodded, tears forming in his eyes. "Everything that I've done in my life was to help you, Marshall. When you lost your mom, and your dad abandoned you, I took it upon myself to take you in and take care of you when that good for nothing father you had didn't. I guess that this time I paid the price with my legs. I…..I can't blame you for those actions, even though I want to. The good guy in me won't let that happen."

"What are you saying?"

With all that his back legs could muster, the crippled pup walked up to Marshall and took him into a tight hug. "You might scare me, and I may not have the same trust in you that I once had, but I believe that can change in time. Starting right now."

Marshall felt the tears hit his shoulder as he hugged Chase back. "I don't know what to say, Chase."

"I know how." Chase let go of the hug and held out a paw. "Hi! My name is Chase. It's nice to meet you. What's your name?"

Marshall wiped his nose and smiled. With no hesitation, he took Chase's paw and shook it. "Nice to meet you, Chase. My name is Marshall."

* * *

 **A/N: While writing this chapter, I held back an extraordinary number of tears. I enjoyed writing this story so much, and I couldn't have brought it to a beautiful closure without the overwhelming support of you guys. And I am proud to announce that a short story following the events of this one is officially in the works. Here are the essential details. It will be a Chase based story about his recovery from the facts of this story. It'll be a bit of sad and a bit of happy, but it won't be as sad as this story, and there won't be any weird plot points like this story as well. I don't have any official title ideas, but I've been playing around with the name, Recovery Road or Times of Rehab. Let me know what you think, and if you have any suggestions, I am more than open to them.**

 **Thanks for this incredible journey and I hope to see you again soon!**

 **Hearts of Ice and Fire complete**

 **This is Atlas FF signing off!**


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